


Evolution

by Zeelian



Series: The Eternal Universe - Birth of a Dragon [7]
Category: Fantasy - Fandom, Original Work, Science Fiction - Fandom
Genre: Alternate History, Alternate Universe - Demons, Alternate Universe - Magic, Multi, Religious Cults, Road Trips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-30
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-10-19 13:54:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 79,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17602601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zeelian/pseuds/Zeelian
Summary: With the business with the Council of Elders done it was time for Takeshi to keep his promise to Emelie, to take her and the twins on a vacation.It would also allow Dan to test his wings so to speak, allow him to step up and take more responsibility for running the Jacaranda Estate.But of course the Fates just couldn't resist messing with Takeshi's life.





	1. Vacation

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Vacation_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

One week after the return from Japan Takeshi was once again ready to leave their Hawaii home, this time to start the extended vacation he had promised Emelie.  
Their custom 18-wheeler that would be their ride, and home, was done and he had inspected it before having it shipped to Tromsø where their trip would begin.  
The city in northern Norway was known for its spectacular northern lights in the winter, and for the midnight sun in the summer, they would start there and slowly move their way south, they would cross over to Sweden once they got further south and leave for Europe from Gothenburg sometime in the spring, other than that they didn't really have any set plans.

“Take, did you have time to check on those security upgrades I had in mind?”  
Dan's voice cut through his musings and he looked away from the map he had been studying.  
“Yeah, they look good. There's an Ethan Wright in the computer, he is the architect who designed everything here, call him and work it out with him.”  
Dan checked his tab and nodded when he found the listing.  
“Okay, I'll give him a call once you guys are on your way.”  
“And Dan, no seducing him, he's married. Make sure you keep Eriko away from him as well.”  
Takeshi teased and Dan began spluttering, he still hadn't figured out just how Takeshi knew about his gender neutrality when it came to attraction and Takeshi was not about to tell him that his scent and aura betrayed his attraction toward him as clearly as if he had told him.  
“I'm pretty sure there's laws against that crap.”  
Dan complained, but his grin made it obvious he hadn't actually taken offense to the teasing, quite the contrary he seemed to gradually relax as he slowly came to realize that no one at the estate was bothered by it and that he would not have to hide it among them.  
“I think you will get along just fine with Ethan, he's a nice guy. And his daughter, Nelly, is a charming little thing. His wife, not so much. But please, even if she gets under your skin, try not let it show. For some reason he loves her dearly.”  
“I won't, don't worry. I'll just play the good ol' _make nice with the in-laws_ game. ”  
“Thanks, I really appreciate that.”  
“I figured as much. When you call someone friend you sure don't kid around.”  
There was a teasing lilt to his voice that made Takeshi flash his fangs at him in mock annoyance.

During the half year that he had been with them Dan had settled in nicely, he was a bit confused though as he felt he wasn't actually doing any work, instead he had been training almost the entire time.  
The only time he had not been in some sort of training was when he was traveling to see to the customization of the trailers for the little road trip that was planned.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Vacation_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

With the Blackout loaded and ready Takeshi said his goodbyes to Kasumi and the rest of the girls while Emelie and Matthews got the twins strapped in and did the pre-flight check, Matthews would be flying the Blackout back after unloading them in Tromsø.  
“Dan, you make sure to keep everyone safe, Eriko will help you if you get a fight on your hands, but other than that it will be your responsibility to make sure everything is okay.”  
“I will.”

Dan envied Takeshi and the others, how they seemed to always be able to relay more than just words, while he could use his familiar for simple communication it was obvious the others communicated feelings as well and right now words seemed so inadequate.  
Here Takeshi was trusting him with the most important thing he had, his family, and all he had was words, he was surprised when his familiar jumped down from his shoulder and took its larger form before walking up to Takeshi.  
Takeshi could feel Dan's internal conflict and for a moment he was a bit confused as to what might have caused it, but when the Raijū jumped between them and took its wolf form he suspected what it was.  
It was confirmed when he felt it bump his hand with its head, reassurance, affection, longing, so many emotions woven into that simple gesture and he scratched behind its ear before carefully taking the two long, whip like appendages and allowing them to slide through his fingers as he turned around and boarded the Blackout.  
With his back turned he didn't bother hiding the grin as he could feel confusion and embarrassment radiating from Dan's aura, he knew that the Raijū had relayed some of the meaning of the gesture to him.  
Depending on the relationship it could be a gesture of acceptance, of trust, or an invitation to something more intimate.

“You just can't resist teasing anyone, can you? He has totally got a thing for you and it's really not nice to tease him for it.”  
Emelie scolded him lightly as he took his seat and he just shrugged with a smirk.  
As a Kage he wasn't supposed to care about love or sex at all and due to that he had been less exposed to the otherwise common prejudice against those who did not conform to the heterosexual norm.  
As far as he was concerned, as long as they accepted if he rejected them and didn't do anything that victimized others, he couldn't care less what got them going, he simply took it as a compliment that Dan found him attractive.  
He still felt an attraction to Dan though, but he was still a bit confused about it, the slowly smoldering attraction and the lack of desire to actually seduce the man was unfamiliar to him.

They had a long flight ahead of them, so plenty of games had been brought for the girls, fortunately most of the trip could be done on autopilot so Takeshi could join them in their games.  
At the moment however they were both looking over Emelie's shoulders at the navigation computer so Takeshi moved the autopilot readings to one of his smaller screens so she could bring the map data up on the main screen.  
“Damn, you girls are gonna be freezing your cute little rumps off where you're going.”  
Takeshi thought Matthews was exaggerating, the weather data only showed a few degrees below freezing, with proper clothes they would stay warm and cozy all day.  
“Don't listen to that old geezer, it's no colder than it was in Gothenburg when we were there.”  
Emelie beat him to contradicting Matthews' statement though.  
“It was nice there, the snow was fun!”  
“It was wasn't it?”  
Takeshi just leaned back and watched as Emelie engaged the twins, letting it soothe his instincts.  
“Can we have a snowball fight when we land?”  
“Well we can try, but I think it's a bit too cold.”  
“Aww...”  
“We could take a few buckets of snow into the cargo trailer to let it warm up a little, then we should be able to make some nice snowballs.”  
“Yay!”  
“But you know what. When the weather is cold and dry like it is now there is a very good chance that we will get to see some northern lights, and Tromsø is famous for them.”

“Okay girls, time to get strapped in so we can land.”  
With a landing slot confirmed at the small airport Takeshi made the girls get back in their seats and Matthews made sure they were secure before strapping himself in.  
Once down on the ground the Blackout was quickly unloaded into the rented hangar where the large rig that would be their home for a good part of the coming year waited for them.  
With everything unloaded they made sure to get a few hours of sleep before seeing Matthews off.  
“Take care of yourself old man.”  
“Don't worry kid, I will. That crazy fox won't allow anything else.”  
“She's been good for you.”  
“Yeah, she has.”

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Vacation_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“These bed linen are uncomfortable. We need to do a bit of shopping.”  
Emelie complained slightly, the quality wasn't actually bad, but she had gotten so used to the soft satin weave sheets they used at their island home.  
“Oh, have I spoiled my little princess?”  
“Mhm.”  
“Well, I happen to agree, and there are a bunch of things we need to stock up on, so why don't you use the car and take the twins shopping while I work on the final modifications to our ride?”  
“Sure. If you do the food shopping I'll get the household stuff.”  
“I guess we have a deal. You take the girls out shopping while I set things up, then once I'm done you can do the decor while I go out and buy all the heavy stuff, going to have to get a rental for that anyway, that little thing you talked me into buying isn't much of a shopping car.”  
“You telling me you didn't have a blast driving it?”  
Her counter made him voice a frustrated huff before kissing her harshly.  
She was right though, the 4 seat GT-R was spirited and a lot of fun to drive.

There was quite a bit of work left to do, while Takeshi was very happy with how the rig had turned out there were a few things that they simply could not reveal to the builders.  
The first major thing was the upgrades to the navigation and self drive systems that would allow the rig to be almost entirely independent during normal road conditions and even in less than optimal conditions it would require very little driver input, all of it thanks to the fragment that remained of Daniels.

The second major upgrade was a gift from the Mother, a set of crystals with properties similar to the ones that had placed the creatures from the Alaska Sanctuary into suspended animation during the first time in Hawaii.  
The crystals were applied to the storage unit in the second trailer, as well as the pantry, refrigerator and freezer in the main trailer and the smaller refrigerator in the cab.  
Once they had been fully grown to cover all the surfaces anything put inside would be subjected to a temporal anomaly, effectively freezing it in time as long as the field was closed.  
Taking into account opening the doors to access the stored supplies and thereby disabling the field it would still increase the shelf life greatly, even things like shellfish and other sensitive seafood that would spoil in a few days during regular refrigeration would last several weeks, even months stored within the fields.

There were several other gifts from the Mother, including plants that did the work of an AC, just a hundred times more effectively, keeping the air clean and at a comfortable temperature.  
A small Jacaranda, just like the bonsai Wisteria he had made for Kasumi, emitted a field similar to the one protecting the island, it would offer some protection from severe weather and it would make anyone with bad intent unwilling to come to close to the trailers, offering extra protection against road pirates, preying on sleeping travelers.  
There was also a small aquarium and a vivarium for the twin snakes as both sets of twins had made it perfectly clear they would not be apart for such a long time.  
Thankfully they were still focusing on mental growth rather than physical growth so they were easy enough to care for, though it had required another round of hacking to create all the documents needed to make sure there wouldn't be any issues if the trailers were searched by customs and they had not been happy about the RFID-chip that he had injected, unfortunately it was a requirement in some countries they would be traveling through, but at least they didn't need to worry about complications like normal snakes would.

“Take, I hope you don't mind, but I found a nice little Asian store that was willing to sell in bulk, and deliver to the airport so I ordered a lot of the dry goods and a bunch of other things from the list. It will be delivered tomorrow.”  
”Of course I don't mind, that's great sweetie.”  
Takeshi pulled Emelie into a tight hug and gave her a soft kiss.  
“How much of the list did you get?”  
“Well, almost everything that doesn't require refrigeration. Just missing a few things like regular flour, they only had things like rice and tapioca flour. Oh, and they had coconut flour so I bought some of that too, and a few different unrefined sugars.”  
Her focus quickly fragmented, but Takeshi knew she would sort the list later so he just let her chatter away while he held her close.

With the field fully in place on the storage trailer Takeshi headed out to stock up on the more perishable foods, mostly meat, things that could be grown such as vegetables, spices and herbs they would have plenty of fresh ones thanks to one of the gifts from the Mother, a set of planters with soil that gave perfect conditions for growing delicious produce, they even had their own grow lights.

It took them nearly a week to get everything ready to head out, Emelie and the twins spent most of the time shopping for various household items, bed linen, towels, all the necessary toiletries and household chemicals, the latter was always a bit of a struggle due to Takeshi's keen sense of smell.

“I think that's the last of it. We are ready to go.”  
“Finally!”  
The twins were getting rather bored just sitting in the hangar or going shopping and Takeshi agreed with them, he was eager to get moving.  
“Indeed. If we find were missing something we can just buy it along the road. Em, would you make sure they are strapped in please.”

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Vacation_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

They slowly made their way south and crossed into Sweden after spending a week in Trondheim, and once in Sweden they headed up north again since Emelie wanted to stop by various producers of reindeer meat products which Takeshi was more than happy to do, he enjoyed the gamey flavor of the meat.

“We have to get more of the smoked and dried meat, it's the best. And they have cloud berry jam! Please, can we get some?”  
“Of course sweetie. Go ahead, get as much as you want. And get some of that frozen roe as well, and the salmon.”  
“We are going to be cleaning them out, aren't we?”  
“Yeah...”  
“Daddy, can we have moose heart tonight?”  
Sara and Maria pointed toward a list or products that listed various moose products, including various variations of moose heart, from plain frozen, to salted and smoked.  
“Take, look, they have... Umm, I don't know what it's called in English, fjällripa... A plump game bird that lives high up on the barren mountains.”  
“That's _Raich_ _ō_ , Rock ptarmigan. In Japan they are more or less sacred, but they are really good food.”  
“Can we buy some?”  
“Of course.”  
Takeshi added yet another item to the list with a somewhat theatrical sigh.

By the time they turned back south their food stores were filled to the brim with northern delicacies, and a large amount had been ordered to be shipped to Hawaii as well.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Vacation_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

When they arrived in Gothenburg it was mid March and the plan was to stay there just over a month before heading down to Malmö where they would go across the bridge into Denmark.

The extended stay in Gothenburg did carry a note of sorrow though, it would be the last time Emelie met her childhood friends, since her rebirth she had stopped aging and it would soon become far too obvious and she had decided she wouldn't make use of illusion to feign age, instead she would simply say her goodbyes and leave the last vestige of her life as a human behind her once and for all.  
There were many nights when Takeshi and the twins had held her as she cried herself to sleep and while the twins didn't fully understand why she was so sad they did wonders at helping her through it, showing her that while she would be saying farewell to her old life there was a new life there waiting for her.

“Em, sweetie. You don't have to do this you know.”  
“I know, but still, I need to do this. I need to move on. This can't be my life anymore.”  
“Will you at least consider a compromise?”  
“What kind of compromise?”  
“Among your friends, is there anyone you trust enough to tell them the truth?”  
“I... I don't know, maybe a few.”  
“If there is, you should tell them, keep them in your life.”  
“I guess...”  
“Now how about we focus on something happier? Like, how long would you like to stay?”  
Takeshi changed the subject in a rather blunt manner which made Emelie huff at him and smile.  
“Well, I was thinking about staying for the Mayfires.”  
“Ah Walpurgis Night. I think the girls would enjoy that.”  
“There's this nice little spot out on the islands where they have this really nice bonfire and fireworks. My friends and I always used to go there and they still do.”  
“Sounds like we have a plan then.”

Pulling in to the camping area their rig caused quite a stir with a lot of people trying to get a look at the unusual visitor.  
“You know Take, it was something like that I was thinking about.”  
Emelie nodded toward the Tiffin camping bus in the spot next to them.  
“I know sweetie.”  
“Then why did you suggest this crazy thing?”  
She made a sweeping gesture toward their rig which was currently setting down the landing gear to allow them to disconnect the tractor which would be hooked up to the pup trailer and move it to the smaller slot next to them.  
Fortunately it was still low season so it had been easy to get 2 slots next to each other, there were still quite a few visitors at the camping though.  
“Because those buses didn't have proper sets or beds for the girls.”  
“Oh, I see. I've only seen them from the outside.”

With the gear down Takeshi disconnected the tractor and headed out to pick up the pup trailer which had been disconnected earlier and left on the large gravel lot nearby.  
“Em, would you make sure she's level please.”  
“Of course”  
The trailer used a series of power jacks in addition to the landing gear to make sure it remained level and stable, and once down and stable the deck would unfold and the skirting come down, all of it stored at the bottom of the trailer.

“So, girls, what do you want to do first?”  
Takeshi scooped the twins up and tossed them into the pile of pillows in the corner before joining them.  
“We wanna go to the game store!”  
“Oh, that basement one we visited last time?”  
“Mhm! He promised he would show us how to make a miniature cave if we ever visited again.”  
“What do you say Em? Head over there and see if we can set up a suitable appointment?”  
“Sounds good. I'd like to learn how he does it as well, looks like it could be fun. Maybe we could make a miniature of the Sanctuary.”  
“Then it's settled. We go drop by Em's thai place, then we head to Spelgrottan.”

“Welcome back!”  
They were eagerly greeted by the store owner and he quickly apologized that he didn't have time to show them right away, but they agreed to come back on Sunday when the store was closed.  
“I'll just call and cancel my usual game group, they can play at the backup location for a few weeks.”  
“Yay!”  
“Thanks Mr Gamer!”  
The twins name for the owner made Takeshi and Emelie laugh, and the owner just accepted the name with an almost proud nod.  
“You have my gratitude, they have been speaking a lot about the landscapes you make.”  
“No problems. Thanks to your honesty I don't have to worry about the finances of my little store for years to come.”  
Takeshi just gave him a slightly uncomfortable nod, he had a feeling they would end up buying a lot of things so that the twins could make diorama themselves.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Vacation_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Sweetie, did you think about what I said about telling any of your friends the truth?”  
“Yeah, I did.”  
“And?”  
He nudged her gently which made her huff at him.  
“I'm gonna invite Mia and Saga over, I haven't decided if I'll tell them though, but they are the ones I'd consider.”  
“Mia was the gutter brain with the shock green mohawk, right?”  
“Yeah, definitely, her brain could make a statue blush. If her hair didn't make them laugh their ass off first.”  
Remembering the intense young woman made Takeshi snicker and nod, her forwardness had made him a bit uncomfortable at first, but after a few hours he had found himself really liking her.  
She was strong, opinionated, and refused to take shit from anyone, a woman after his own taste.  
“And Saga was the cute brunette who was so scared of the roller-coaster?”  
“Mhm, that's her alright. Your memory is insane...”  
“Both of them were rather memorable people.”

“So, you think Saga is cute huh?”  
With a teasing quip Emelie changed the subject slightly, but Takeshi suspected she was trying to get him to give his opinion on her picks.  
“Yeah, I do. She was really sweet, a bit shy at first, but once she got over that she was quite interesting to talk to.”  
His reflections on Saga made Emelie laugh.  
“I'm actually amazed she even dared talk to you, she's usually super shy around strangers.”  
“I'm pretty good at making people comfortable.”  
“Yeah, you are.”  
“And for what it's worth, I think you are right about your picks, at least among the ones I met on your birthday.”  
“Those were all my closest friends, so there aren't really any other to consider.”  
After a moment of silence she buried her face in the crook of his neck and thanked him for supporting her.

“ _Wow, Em, jag hört talas om lyxiga husbilar, men det här är ju löjligt!”  
_“Mia, English, remember?”  
Emelie slapped her friend on the arm and nodded toward Takeshi and the twins.  
“Ah yeah, sorry. Sweet ride you got here!”  
“Thank you Mia.”  
Takeshi shook his head with a smile as Mia launched into an a mile a minute interrogation of Emelie while they waited for Saga to arrive.

“Is your name really fairytale?”  
Sarah and Maria instantly voiced the question they had been waiting to ask the moment Saga arrived.  
“Yeah, it is.”  
“Cool!”  
_“Alltså, nu är jag riktigt avis...”_  
Emelie quickly mock scolded Saga for forgetting to speak English, which caused a round of friendly bickering that ended suddenly when Saga mentioned Emelie's grandparents.  
“Oh, sorry! I heard your parents passed away, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.”  
Takeshi sighed at the way Emelie froze, this was a topic he had been hoping they would avoid for a while at least, ideally until after the girls had gone to bed.  
He quietly nudged the twins to go inside and fetch the snacks, allowing Emelie a moment to vent her feelings.  
“I'm not!”  
“Em!?”  
“They were not my parents. They lied to me my entire life, lied to everyone.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“You remember that I told you I had a sister?”  
“Yeah, you mentioned being a _sladdis_ and that your sister was like 20 years older than you.”  
“Well, turns out she wasn't my sister, she was my mom, and Stefan and Anneli were my grandparents. Even when I found out they tried to deny it.”  
Her friends instantly closed ranks on her and started hugging and soothing her so when the twins came out Takeshi motioned for them to come to him instead.  
“ _Easy girls, let Em's friends take care of her this time. She needs them to.”_  
The familiars came in handy as he silently soothed the upset girls.  
_“Okay.”  
_

Once Emelie was calm again she started to bring up the reason why she had invited her friends.  
“Take here is the one who told me the truth.”  
“Yeah, the guy who brought the GCTI down is his dad, right?”  
“Wrong...”  
Turning to Takeshi she looked for confirmation one last time, and when he nodded she took a deep breath and continued.  
“Take here **is** the guy who took down the GCTI. Takeshi Kiryu, born in December 1999. And he is not a mortal human.”  
There was a long round of questions, and Takeshi showed them what he was, together they showed them the familiars, and once they settled down, Emelie brought out the next bomb.  
“I invited you here to tell you this, and another thing. This is the last time I will visit Gothenburg in a long time.”  
“But why?”  
“Because, it turns out, I'm not human either. My father was a demon. I'm a demon, I will never grow old or die of old age.”  
_“Wow, läckerbit!”_  
Mia hooted and whistled when Emelie showed her true form and Saga agreed that she looked amazing, she was still blushing rather vividly from the explanation of just what Emelie was though.

“Well I have told you my story, now it's your turn, what have you been up to since I left?”  
Emelie looked between her friends before nailing Saga with a scrutinizing look.  
“So, whatever happened to your and Håkan's plans to have a whole bunch of kids?”  
Saga's smile instantly vanished and the twins whimpered and hurried to her side, a sure sign of the pain caused by Emelie's question.  
“Oh, no Saga, what happened?”  
Emelie reached out for her friend, desperately trying to soothe the pain she unintentionally caused.  
“We don't mention that lying sack of shit!”  
Mia's voice held a furious edge as she stepped up to explain while the twins cuddled the distraught young woman.  
“Mia, what happened?”  
“Turns out Saga was the only one trying to have kids, that piece of trash had a vasectomy and never told her, instead he outright lied about it, made it out to be her fault that she didn't become pregnant.”  
Emelie's furious shriek made everyone except Takeshi jump slightly, he expected the reaction when he heard what was going on.  
”He better not show his face around me or I will kick his ass.”

It took a while before Emelie calmed down, and Saga was still very upset, but the twins seemed to be doing her good.  
“I'm sorry Em, I need to get home, I have big test tomorrow. Please look after Saga, that bastard really did a number on her.”  
“Don't worry, I will.”  
After Mia had left Takeshi and Emelie gently nudged the twins.  
“Girls, it's time for you to go to bed.”  
“But she's still hurting!”  
Maria clearly didn't want to leave Saga's side while she was still hurting.  
“I know sweetie, but this isn't a pain that will go away fast or easy.”  
“But daddy, can't you just give her a baby so she can be happy?”  
The question, asked with the innocence of a child, made Saga splutter and blush crimson, but Takeshi just took a deep breath and with a glance on Emelie he made up his mind.  
“It's not quite that easy sweetie. But yes, if she wants me to, I can do that. But I do believe I told you to get your little rumps in bed.”

When Takeshi turned back to Emelie and Saga, Saga was doing pretty impressive owl impression.  
“Yeah, he really meant that.”  
Emelie was chuckling lightly at Saga's reaction.  
“But, but...”  
“We have an open relationship of sorts, as long as it's someone I'm okay with he's allowed to have some fun on the side, and the same applies for me should I find someone of interest. And I'm perfectly okay with him helping you become a mother if you want him to.”  
“I can't. I only have a part time job, and I live in a tiny apartment...”  
Takeshi and Emelie both noted that Saga didn't say she didn't want to, she was concerned about finances and somewhere to live.  
“Saga, if you ask him to do this, he will make sure that you and the baby are well taken care of, trust me.”  
As she gradually began to understand that they were actually serious, Saga began to open up about her desire to be a mother.

“It would still take years to get a larger apartment...”  
“Saga, I still own my grandparents' house, you can live there for as long as you want to. And I will keep paying for the various services that I'm paying for now. And Take will give you an allowance equivalent of having a partner with a full income, a well paid partner.”  
As the evening turned to night Saga's worries were slowly put to rest, leaving her nothing but her desire to base her choice on.  
“So, what do you think. As crazy at is might sound, would it be an option for you?”  
“I... Yeah, I think so... But, you're only staying for a short while...”  
She blushed vividly when Takeshi got up from his seat and kneeled down next to her and started sifting through her scent.  
“You are in your fertile period now, and if the Mother is agreeable, Em's familiar can give you a little something to boost your fertility further, if you would like to try right away.”  
He managed to add a teasing tone and smile to his words that made Saga blush and splutter at him, but after a few moments she realized he was actually serious and she went silent before nodding with burning cheeks.

Emelie held out her familiar to Takeshi and when he took it he could feel the presence of the Mother connect through it so he spoke to it, making his request for a fertility booster for Saga and much to his relief she agreed, and explained she would give them both something.  
“The Mother has agreed to give us a booster. She will also give you something that will temporarily enhance your senses, make it easier for you to feel and make sense of my aura.”  
When Saga reached out toward the serpent Emelie decided to distract her a bit and offered her a few teasing truths about Takeshi.  
“You know, when I mentioned which of my friends to tell the truth, he remembered you as the cute one who was scared of the roller-coaster. And don't worry, he's a very skilled lover.”  
The second part had Saga bright red in a flash and too distracted to feel any pain from the serpent's bite.  
At the same time Takeshi studied Saga with thinly veiled curiosity, he was curious about what the Mother had said about enhancing Saga's ability to feel him, and as her aura began to rise he understood, whatever She had done it enabled Saga to connect with her aura properly.  
Reaching out with his own aura he wrapped it around Saga's and smiled when her eyes widened in surprise, then understanding, and when he leaned in to kiss her she arched up and met him, and her flavor was sweet and spicy.  
“You take good care of her now honey, she is one of my best friends after all.”  
Emelie teased them as she retired for the night, joining the twins in their sleeping area to let Takeshi and Saga have the master bedroom.  
“I will sweetie, don't worry.”

“Oh my god, you're big...”  
“I know sweetie, I know. But don't worry, I'll be gentle.”  
Saga's reaction to feeling him made him smile and tut a bit at her while reassuring her he would be careful not to hurt her, she was far from a virgin, but her ex had not been very large so the difference was very noticeable.  
“How does Em even do it? She's so tiny...”  
“Remember, she's a demon, a succubus, her body is meant to be able to handle it. And well, I'm actually quite small compared to many demons.”  
It did take quite a while before she was ready for him though, and he had to be very gentle with her, she was a soft and emotional lover, she needed him to go slow, to be gentle and let her feel his emotions.  
It was different after such a long time with mostly just Emelie who was quite the opposite, but he enjoyed it very much and he was more than happy to give her whatever she needed.

When Emelie woke up she peeked into the main sleeping area and found Takeshi curled along Saga's back with his arm around her and he looked quite content.  
_“She should wake up soon so would you see to the twins and start breakfast?”  
“Sure, you make sure to give her a nice little snuggle.”  
“I will.”_  
As the door closed Takeshi burrowed his nose in Saga's hair and allowed the way their scents mixed to calm him and a few minutes later he could feel her begin to stir.  
“Morning Saga, breakfast should be done in about 20 minutes.”  
“Morning.”  
He could feel something decidedly impish stir in her aura as she turned around to face him.  
“Maybe we should try again, improve the odds?”  
Her tone, and the way her energies brushed against him, told him it wasn't about trying to conceive, and the way she blushed told him she understood that he would see through it.  
“Hmm. Sounds like an excellent idea.”  
Leaning in he kissed her and enjoyed her spicy sweetness, all while letting his hands roam, remembering the spots that lit her fire.

“Morning Saga, Take.”  
“Morning sweetie”  
Takeshi grabbed Em and gave her a scorching kiss.  
“Morning Em, what's for breakfast?”  
Saga tiptoed out behind him, blushing rather vividly.  
“Oh, just the usual.”  
Emelie chirped while handing Saga a steaming cup of coffee.

“Will Saga be staying with us?”  
Maria's question made Saga look between Takeshi and Emelie.  
“You are welcome to stay here if you want to.”  
“I guess that would make things easier. I still need to get to work though.”  
“I don't want you to worry about catching a tram or bus, one of us will drive you.”  
“In that crazy huge thing?”  
Saga nodded toward the semi tractor outside the window.  
“Nah, we have a smaller car in the pup.”  
“The what?”  
“The small trailer. It's called a pup and we have a car in it.”  
“Oh... I guess that would work.”  
By the time they were done drawing up plans it was time for lunch and Emelie took the twins with her to get food, leaving Takeshi and Saga alone to improve her chances of conception.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Vacation_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

Two days before Walpurgis Night Takeshi found himself being pulled into the dreamscape and a lush forest where the Mother waited for him.

“ _ **I have news for you my Chosen. The Fates have permitted me to tell you that young Saga has conceived, she is carrying twin girls, and paths of fate all show that she will carry to term and birth you two beautiful, healthy, daughters.”**_

The moment she had told him about Saga the dreamscape faded away and he woke with a start, and quickly explored Saga's aura and scent, but it was too soon for him to be able to tell.  
When Saga woke up she noticed that something was different.  
“What has you in such a good mood?”  
“Remember I told you about the entity that changed me?”  
“Mhm...”  
“Well, she came to me tonight because she had something to tell me. The Fates has allowed her to tell us that it worked, you're pregnant.”  
For a moment it was dead silent, then Saga broke into a wide smile and let loose a squeal of happiness that had Takeshi covering his head under the pillows.

“I hear congratulations are in order.”  
Emelie's soft teasing at breakfast made Saga break down into a nervous mix of happy ramblings and tears.  
“Take, who was the nice lady in our dream who told us Saga was having twins just like us?”  
The twins question caught Takeshi by surprised, it would seem that the Mother had visited all of them with the news.  
“That was the Mother.”  
Tuning out Saga and Emelie who were going of into _girl talk_ territory he focused on the very curious little girls.  
“She was pretty.”  
“She doesn't actually have a form, so she borrows bits and pieces from your memories.”  
“She was still pretty...”  
“I'm sure she was.”  
In Takeshi's dreamscape she was a stunningly beautiful woman.

“Take, I'm taking Saga out shopping for baby stuff for twins.”  
“Of course sweetie. Would you be okay taking the bikes so I can take the girls shopping for some clothes for the mayfire?”  
“Of course, that **was** the plan.”  
“But Em, I don't have a helmet and I doubt his would fit me...”  
Saga instantly objected.  
“Don't worry, mine is super adjustable.”  
“But then you won't have one.”  
“I don't really need one, my horns protect me.”  
“But they'll stop you and fine you.”  
Sweden had very strict helmet laws, including mandatory helmet for minors on regular bicycles.  
“Nah, I have an illusion charm that makes it look like I'm wearing a helmet.”  
“Oh, I see.”  
Once they stopped talking Takeshi leaned in and gave both of them a kiss before handing Emelie his credit card with a teasing smile.  
“You ladies make sure to have some fun now.”  
“We will, don't worry!”  
“See you at the Thai place for lunch?”  
“Mhm, make it a late lunch.”  
“See you at 13:00 then?”  
“Okay.”  
The lunch plans left Takeshi with about 3 hours to do a bit of window shopping with the twins, then they could go back in the afternoon to pick up the favorite clothes.

“I have a heard about shopping 'till you drop. But this is the first time I have seen it.”  
Saga smiled as she peeked into the car where the twins were sound asleep.  
They had worn themselves out during the afternoon, refusing to settle on what they wanted to wear, so Takeshi had simply left them in the car to sleep, and they were still sleeping when Emelie and Saga returned.  
“So, did you find anything?”  
“Mhm, we found lots of useful stuff, and even more cute stuff.”  
“What about you Saga, find everything you wanted?”  
“You two are insane! Em must have spent over a 100 grand!”  
At that Takeshi actually gave Emelie a questioning look.  
“100 grand Swedish kronor, that's only about 10 grand.”  
“Ah. That's really not much.”  
“She spent 20 grand on a stroller...”  
Saga objected slightly.  
“It was only one that was good quality. And didn't have a bunch of weird chemicals in the fabric.”  
Takeshi leaned back and watched the two mock argue for a while before Saga gave up with a sigh.  
“I have no doubt there will be about a thousand different things that you forgot about, so how about we make sure to set up an account for you Saga?”  
“I guess. All of this is so strange.”  
“I know, but don't worry, it does get easier, just go with the flow.”  
He knew that the next thing he was about to drop on her would probably get him slapped despite her rather calm and gentle nature.  
“Now, I have taken the liberty to set up an account for you to make sure you at least have you financial needs secured.”  
Bringing out a tablet he logged in on the bank application and brought up the account he had made for her.  
“I opened it with a buffer in case something out of the ordinary happens, and I have set up a monthly transfer from one of my accounts.”  
Handing her the tab he waited patiently for the fallout, he had looked up income statistics for Swedish middle income households and set the amount for the transfer in the higher end of the range.  
_“En mille?!”_  
There was some spluttering in Swedish before she remembered to speak English.  
“A million, you started the account at a million?”  
“Ehm Saga, that's in euro.”  
Emelie piped in with a teasing tone while reaching over and flipping the display of the bank app to Swedish kronor, adding a zero to the amount which earned Takeshi the expected slap on the arm.  
When he showed her the transfer schedule she sighed and shook her head.  
“How in the world did you come up with these numbers?”  
“I checked out the average income for Swedish middle income families and picked something along the upper end of the statistics.  
“50 grand is for two people working full time...”  
“Mhm, with twins you will have a hard time working full time so I figured I would just compensate that fully, and while I won't be available to help you raise them, I can at least offer you the financial security to allow you to be able to raise them without having to worry about money.”  
“Thanks...”  
Tears were flowing freely down Saga's cheeks and Takeshi wiped them away before leaning in and kissing her.  
“I will do what I can to make this easier for you.”

Once she had calmed down a bit Takeshi brought out a small crystal egg that he had prepared with the help of the Mother.  
“I also have a little something for you to help bolster your health, make sure you are in the best possible health.”  
A small spark of power made the egg unfurl and reveal a small, crystal, dragon that peered up at her while flicking its tail and wings.  
“Oh, like the snake and birds?”  
“It's similar. This one is, less. It doesn't have a fully developed awareness and it won't enable you to communicate with the blessed. What it can do however is monitor your health and help you make sure your body has everything it needs”  
“How would it do that?”  
“It has several ways, including monitoring your aura and testing your blood. It will take a tiny amount of your blood and that will tell it if there's anything you need, or are getting too much of. It will then suggest ways to improve it, like for instance suggest eating plenty of leafy greens for folic acid or algae and fatty fish for DHA.”  
“Oh, my own personal physician and dietitian, that can definitely be useful.”  
“Now, if any of your values goes out of whack it can also give you an injection, just like how Em's serpent did.”  
Saga nodded her understanding so Takeshi handed her the small dragon and waited for it to connect with its charge.  
“Interesting feeling, isn't it?”  
“It's amazing...”  
“Now, I would like you to let it test you right away, chances are you could do with a boost in folic acid as higher levels are good in the early stages of pregnancy.”  
He would wait and let her digest what he had just told her before telling her that the familiar would generate a pair of eggs of sorts once the babies were ready to be born so that they would each get one as well.

As evening turned to night Saga became restless and clearly somewhat insecure about what to do, she had lived with them in the trailer since her first visit to be close to Takeshi, and have plenty of opportunity to have sex to increase her chances of getting pregnant.  
But now that she was she didn't know what to expect, and it was making her insecurities rise and the enhanced bond created by the substance that the Mother had given her made Takeshi acutely aware of how she was feeling.  
When she got up to get some water Takeshi followed her and moved up behind her before gently wrapping his arms around her from behind.  
“Saga, I hope this doesn't mean you won't be honoring me with your presence in my bed anymore.”  
She froze for a moment before leaning into him.  
“Not as long as I'm still welcome there.”  
“You are, very welcome in fact.”  
There was a slight spike of confusion and concern but before Saga had a chance to ask exactly what he meant Emelie stepped in.  
“You offer him something that I have a very hard time to. Slow and gentle really is not my thing, but he enjoys that just as much as he does fast and rough.”  
Emelie soothed her friend, explained to her that she had no objections to sharing Takeshi with her beyond the initial agreement.

Once back in the pile of pillow that was the sitting area Takeshi pulled Saga into his arms and kissed her, making sure to pour all of his feelings, his soul, into the kiss, hoping she would understand.  
As he broke off the kiss she looked up at him and nodded.  
“Mhm. I like you too, but it's not love, I know.”  
“Thank you for understanding.”  
“You're not very good at talking about your feelings, are you?”  
“No, I'm certainly not.”  
“But your kiss... Somehow I could feel it in the kiss.”  
“I was hoping you would.”

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Vacation_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

The day of Walpurgis Night arrived with glorious spring weather and the twins were standing at the bow of the ferry that would take them to the island where the bonfire that Emelie's friend attended would be held.  
“Is it that island?”  
“No, the island where we are going is bigger.”  
Emelie tutted at Sarah with a smile while using her tail to remind Maria not to climb the railing.

“Is that the island?”  
“Yes, sweetie, that's the one.”  
“Yay!”  
“Come on, lets go help Take with the food.”

The festivities would start out with a big picnic and barbecue down at the rocky beach next to the bonfire, then there were plenty of fun and games before the bonfire was lit, then once it was properly dark there would be a fireworks show.  
Emelie had explained that one of the reason her friends picked that location was because there was very little drinking going on so it was calmer, more focused on playing silly games and eating.

Heading toward the gangway they met up with Takeshi, Saga and Mia who were waiting by the three large push carts that held all the food and drinks the group had brought along with a pile of games and blankets to make sure everyone would be comfortable and entertained.  
“At least we won't be hungry.”  
Mia hadn't spent as much time with them as Saga had so she hadn't seen just how much food Takeshi and Emelie could make vanish.  
“Believe me, there won't be a scrap of food left when we head back.”  
Saga laughed and let out a happy squeal when Takeshi picked her up and set her down in his cart before pushing it across the gangway and followed Emelie and Mia, who had Sarah and Maria clinging to their carts, toward the beach where the festivities would be held.

Takeshi hung back with the twins, unpacking their carts, while Emelie greeted her old friends with mixed emotions, but when he felt a sharp spike of rage from Emelie, and sadness and pain from Saga he quickly turned around.  
Emelie was rushing up toward a young man who obviously was Saga's former partner and began reading him the riot act.  
“Stay here girls, I'll go make sure Em doesn't get picked up for assault.”  
“Okay.”  
Both of them chirped happily and turned their focus back to their games.  
Emelie was arguing with the despicable male in Swedish, mostly berating him for the way he had lied to Saga.  
But when the guy claimed that Saga was the one lying about him she quickly began losing her control so Takeshi intervened.  
“Easy sweetie, trash like that isn't worth getting an assault charge over.”  
The way she hissed at him was telling though so he carefully took hold of her tail to help her focus, but then things took a sharp turn down the ditch as the aforementioned trash said something about Saga being a lying, gold digging, whore which made Takeshi snap out a lightning quick jab that sent the younger man sprawling among the rocks and bushes.  
When Emelie turned and gave him a pointed look he just shrugged with a crooked smile, it would be easier for him to talk his way out of things should the police get involved.

“ _Så går det när man inte ser sig för vart man sätter fötterna.”_  
The comment from one of the witnesses which was quickly followed by more along the same lines made Takeshi look around in slight surprise, they all spoke of how Saga's ex should have been more careful about where he stepped, reminding him that the flat cliffs along the shore could be slippery.  
It would seem they all intended to back Takeshi and say the man slipped in case he tried to make something of it.  
“Everyone here is a friend of Saga's, we know she wouldn't lie about something like that.”  
Emelie's voice held a curious mix between pride, and something secretive, like she knew something he didn't.  
It quickly became obvious what the secretive part had been about as the others gathered around, now much friendlier than they had been before, all of them thanking Takeshi for standing up for Saga.  
“If you hadn't decked him, someone else would have. You were just a lot faster.”  
The attention quickly soured a bit though as they heard a soft whimper from the twins, the closeness of strangers, especially men, raising old fears.  
“Okay everyone, come with me!”  
Emelie quickly ushered her friends away to let Takeshi calm the twins while she explained to her friends why the girls were scared and Takeshi could feel the surge of anger and revulsion through the auras of the group.  
When they returned the most boisterous of the young men slowly walked up to them before kneeling down a few steps away and apologizing to the twins for scaring them.  
It did take a while, but eventually they peeked out from behind Takeshi and nodded.  
“They will be okay, it just became too much for them, too much, too fast.”  
The man's relief was tangible, which in turn made the twins relax a bit and actually let go of Takeshi's clothes and step forward again.

Fortunately it didn't take long before the twins felt comfortable enough to join in the games, and before long it was time for the bonfire to be lit.  
Seeing all their friends pair up to watch the fire a solemn note entered Saga's aura and with a look at Takeshi Emelie ushered the twins closer to the fire, leaving Saga to seek solace in Takeshi's embrace.  
When some of her friends noticed she quickly intervened, and Takeshi heard her explain to them what was going on, about the agreement they had made with Saga, and he could tell they were surprised, but also that they approved.  
“You have have extraordinary friends.”  
Takeshi spoke softly not to startle Saga.  
“Huh? What's happening?”  
“They noticed our closeness so Em explained to them what is going on.”  
“So they know...”  
“They know, but worry not. I heard and sensed their reactions, they're surprised, but they approve. They are promising they will stand by your side and aid you as best as they can.”  
His words made Saga relax and when he wrapped his arms around her she sighed and leaned into him, letting him sooth her.  
“Saga, we heard what's going on, are you okay?”  
The two women had started out in Swedish, but after a quick glance at Takeshi they changed to English.  
“Yeah, it's just a bit emotionally draining.”  
“No kidding girl.”  
“You better remember we are here for you, anything you need just let us know.”  
“Well, I am going to need help moving.”  
“Oh, where are you moving?”  
“Em is letting me stay at her old house so I don't have to worry about finding a larger place.”  
“That's great! Her house was really nice.”  
“I will pay for a moving service if you want to you know.”  
Takeshi reminded her that she didn't really need to worry about taking the cheaper alternative.  
“I know, but moving for something like this is special, I want it to be special.”  
“Okay, but please, at least hire a firm to do the heavy lifting and carrying.”  
“Yeah, I will. But I'm gonna do the packing and all that myself, with the help of my friends. But I'll hire a truck and a crew to dismantle the furniture and carry everything down the stairs. Promise, I won't be doing any of the heavy work.”  
She soothed him with a teasing smile before turning to her friends and telling them all about what a mother hen Takeshi was.

By the time they announced that the fireworks were about to start he had both Emelie and Saga curled into his sides, and the twins were sleeping in a pile of blankets so they gently nudged them awake so they wouldn't miss the show.  
After the show they were both rather hyper, but it didn't take long before they crashed again, and by the time the extra ferry arrived for the home trip they didn't even notice when they were picked up and placed along with the pillows and blankets into the carts that had previously held their food.  
“Those two sure can sleep.”  
Mia smiled at the exhausted pair.  
“Mhm, but they are going to be a pain in the ass later since we have to wake them to strap them in the car.”  
“Makes me relieved I'm borrowing one of the bikes.”  
Mia's teasing chirp had Saga and Emelie groaning as they would be taking the car.

“Bye guys. I'm going to miss you all.”  
Takeshi held back and watched Emelie say her goodbyes to her friends, doing his best to help her carry the pain of loss, of saying farewell to ones she would never see again.  
As they walked away Takeshi noticed that one of them lingered behind, then turned around and approached them and once she came closer he recognized her as Eevi.  
The young Finnish woman had a spectacular temper, a quirky sense of humor, and the ability to pull tall tales with such a straight face that she even had Takeshi fooled, for a while at least.  
She glanced over at Saga and Mia who were helping the twins get strapped in before turning to Emelie.

“Em, are you going to tell me how come you're not human anymore?”  
Emelie and Takeshi both froze for a moment at the question.  
“Yeah, I noticed. Momo always told me I had the gift but I never believed in it, or her. Now I do.”  
Emelie just nodded with a sigh.  
“Turns out my dad, my real dad, was a demon. And when I came of age, I became one as well.”  
Eevi nodded slightly before looking at Takeshi.  
“And you? Care to share?”  
“Not really, but I will anyway, for Em.”  
Takeshi gave her a quick explanation of how he had been born human, but with abilities most humans didn't have, and how he had been changed into more.  
“I really hope Saga knows.”  
“Yeah, Saga and Mia both know. And we'll let them know you know as well. There is something we would like you to consent to though.”  
Emelie spoke for both of them.  
“And what is that?”  
“One of Take's abilities he mentioned is the ability to bind someone to his will. And with your permission we would like to use that ability to make sure you can't reveal the truth, even unintentionally.”  
“I guess, if it makes you feel better.”  
“It might feel a bit odd as you will be able to feel my will overwriting your own, but it doesn't hurt as such. I can get very uncomfortable though if you try to go against it.”  
Takeshi explained what _command_ would do to her before gently weaving the power over her.

“Em, I totally understand why you can't come back here. But I would really like to see you again. Can't we at least meet at Momo's cabin or something sometime?”  
“Of course Eevi. And you can come visit us in Hawaii if you want to, I'll pay for the tickets and everything.”  
Takeshi tuned out the rest of the conversation in favor for heading back to the car where the twins were giving Mia and Saga a hard time.  
“Sarah! Maria!”  
There was a hint of a growl in his voice that made both of them freeze and duck their heads and when he flashed his fangs at them they both tilted their heads to bare their throats to him.  
Leaning in he gave them each a gentle nip on the ear before ushering them into the car.  
“Stop squirming, you need to be strapped in.”

All the seats had 6 point racing harnesses and the back seats had been replaced with modified seats that took the twins height into account to make sure their belts were perfectly fitted and left them room to grow a bit.  
The downside was that they were a bit of a hassle to get the girls into when they weren't in the mood to be cooperative.  
Fortunately they both quickly obeyed when he flashed his fangs at them again, accentuated by a low warning growl.  
“There you go, all strapped in and safe.”  
He gave both of them a gentle tap on the nose before looking over his shoulder to see if Emelie was done talking Eevi and based on the way they were hugging he guessed they were about done.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Vacation_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

Mia watched with rather wide eyes as Takeshi and Saga returned from the main bedroom of the trailer and zeroed in on Saga's sated smile.  
“Saga, are you telling me that Em has managed to get a full jackpot here?”  
“Mhm, he's great in bed, you should give him a try while you have the chance.”  
Saga's teasing made Mia gape and stare at all of them.  
“I wouldn't be opposed to it if my sweet Em is agreeable.”  
Takeshi joined the teasing while giving Mia an exaggerated once over and licking his lips.  
“I'm actually quite curious to find out if you are as wild and spirited in bed as you are out of it.”  
He added with a somewhat more serious tone.  
“What he means is that he would like to see if you would try to boss him around in bed the same way you do otherwise. He likes that.”  
Emelie added her own teasing quip.  
“You're not kidding are you?”  
Mia looked between them with wide eyes.  
“No, no such luck I'm afraid”  
Takeshi and Emelie both shook their head with wide smiles.  
“You know, I may just have lost my marbles, but the hell with it, I'll bite! Come on Big Boy, show me what you got.”  
Mia's word had everyone snickering, and the yelp when Takeshi pounced and kissed her had Emelie and Saga in stitches.

Takeshi was very pleased to find that Mia didn't hesitate to be every bit as opinionated and demanding in bed as she was otherwise, and he very much enjoyed their night together, Mia did complain quite a bit though.  
“I knew I shouldn't have done it. You've ruined me!”  
The complaints however were clearly teasing.

The first day of May was spent with Mia and Saga, tying up some loose ends and saying their goodbyes before checking out and setting out toward Malmö and the crossing to Copenhagen, the first section was a bridge across the Öresund strait, then at an artificial island it transferred into a tunnel that would bring them into Denmark, and the capital city of Copenhagen.

 

 

 


	2. Zealots

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Zealots_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Wow, that's a really long bridge!”  
Sarah and Maria were both sitting on pins as they approached the bridge, trying to get the best view possible which wasn't all that easy as Takeshi had insisted on having the captain chairs of the semi tractor fitted with 6 point belts as well.  
While not as comfortable as the basic 3 point belts they offered superior safety, and that was a trade-off that Takeshi was more then happy to make.  
Fortunately the high seat position offered by their rig offered the twins a good view despite their restricted movement, and the sets could be rotated to allow them a better side view.

“ _Take, are you feeling what I'm feeling?”  
“A pull telling me to go south?”  
“Yeah. You think we should follow it?”  
”For now at least.”  
_When they arrived in Denmark and made their way southwest to the mainland both Takeshi and Emelie began to feel a pull, a strong desire to hurry south, to Schwarzwald, the great Black Forest.  
Keeping the conversation silent not to unsettle the twins they headed south toward the German border.

“Daddy, why does it feel like something is telling us to go that way?”  
Maria pointed in the direction of the pull, making it obvious that the girls were feeling it as well.  
“I don't know sweetie, but we will try to find out.  
Takeshi remembered Tsukiko telling him once that sometimes children would sense danger more accurately than adults.  
“Maria, this feeling, does it feel like a good feeling or a bad feeling?”  
“I don't know... I feels like it's really important that we hurry there. Like someone is scared, or hurt.”  
Takeshi knew that the twins were empaths, and strong ones, and the way Maria described the feeling sealed the decision to hurry.  
“Em, pull over at the next rest stop, I'll take over.”  
While Emelie had been learning to use her aura to sense things Takeshi was far more skilled at interpreting it and following its lead.  
“Okay.”  
10 minutes later Takeshi was in the driver seat and adjusted the speed limiter to the maximum allowed speed for semi trucks before turning back onto the autobahn.

Come evening they found themselves in a town at the edge of the forest where they stopped for the night to let the girls sleep before finding whatever it was calling to them in the morning.  
While the twins slept the strong pull of the call kept Takeshi and Emelie awake through the night and they spent the time trying to figure out where the feeling came from, and how to get there.  
After several hours of consulting various satellite maps they found that they would have to hike the last bit as their rig was too large for the small mountain and forest roads.  
“Guess we will be going for a long walk in the forest tomorrow. I doubt the girls will be to happy about that.”  
Emelie sighed, the twins most definitely would not be to happy about that.  
“Don't worry, I have just the thing to solve that. Come, I'll show you.”  
Once outside Takeshi shifted into his wolf form and when he was done Emelie began laughing.  
“Oh, yes! That will definitely solve the problem.”

During the time in Alaska Takeshi had spent a lot of time learning how to bring items with him into the shift, and how to leave them when he resumed his human form, one of the items he had been practicing with was a harness that resembled a saddle, the purpose was to be able to carry his and Sarisha's cubs while in his wolf form and he could easily adjust the straps slightly to fit Emelie and the twins instead, it was a good thing that Emelie was such a tiny thing.  
He would have to alter his size a bit for them to be able to sit comfortably, but he could do that.  
Originally he had practiced it in order to be able to reduce his size so that he could pass for a normal specimen of whatever animal he borrowed the shape of, if he just shifted he would always end up being abnormally large for the species.  
He had found however that it was much easier to become larger than smaller, Amarok had told him that it was because of the sheer amount of power he had, it was simply much harder to condense such a massive amount of energy into a smaller form than it was to release it into a larger one.

When he adjusted his form to a more suitable size and laid down, inviting Emelie to climb on she grinned at him.  
“So, I guess we will being going horseback riding, or well, wolfback. The girls are going to love this! And I am not about to complain either.”  
Moments later she was seated on his back and he started to move in laps around the rig, allowing her to get a feel for how he moved.

“Up you go you little rascals.”  
Emelie chased the twins out of bed and in to the bathroom while Takeshi prepared breakfast.  
“Are we going to find that place today?”  
“I don't know but we will try. It's pretty deep out in the forest though, so there are no roads there big enough for the rig. Even the car won't be able to get us all the way so we will make camp close to it and then we will have to go on foot from there.”  
“We have to walk in the forest?”  
The instant disappointment made Takeshi smile at them.  
“Don't worry, I have a very special solution for that and I will show you when we arrive at the location where we will make camp.”  
The secretive promise silenced the complaints and infected the twins with an eager curiosity that made their auras sparkle in delight.

“I guess this is as far as we go, this is the last place where we will be able to turn around and I rather not go in reverse for a significant distance.”  
Takeshi stopped when the forest around the road opened up into a clearing without ditches, an old campground.  
Once they had set up the camper Takeshi called for the twins.  
“Come on girls, time to see how you will be traveling from here out.”  
Moments later he had two eager girls bouncing on the balls of the feet and with a smile he shifted into his larger wolf form.  
“Big doggy!”  
The twins were jumping up and down clapping their hands, their excitement making them act far more childish than their age would suggest.  
“We will be using Take as a horse from here one.”  
“Yay!”  
Takeshi quickly pounced on the energetic girls and started licking their faces which immediately earned him complaints about _Icky doggy kisses_ which he ignored for a bit before shifting back to his human form and going for a bit of tickling instead.  
“Go on girls, go inside and back some clothes and a few games into these bags. And try to pack the same amount into both bags please.”  
He handed them a pair of simple bags that would attach to his harness and shooed them into the trailer.

Taking the larger bags himself he handed the water bags to Emelie before stuffing his own bags with food for the twins, he and Emelie would be able to live of meat he hunted, but the twins needed a bit more than just meat.  
The water was also for the twins mainly as they didn't have the extreme resilience to tainted water that Takeshi and Emelie had, though Takeshi could use his power to purify the water it was just as easy to carry a significant amount of already pure water.  
With the bags packed he shifted to his wolf form again and waited patiently for Emelie to secure the bags to his harness before doing a few laps around the camp to make sure the weight distribution wasn't too uneven.  
Satisfied with the balance Takeshi dropped to the ground so that Emelie could help the twins get seated and secure them in the harness.  
Once Emelie gave him the go ahead that they were secured he stood up and began moving around the clearing again, a slow walk at first to allow them to get used to his gait.  
As their seat improved he picked up speed moving on to a pace, trot and canter, once they felt stable at a canter he moved on to the gallop and a few jumps and twists and shortly before lunch he deemed them secure enough in their seat to head out.

“ _Let's eat before we head out.”_  
Takeshi didn't bother shifting, and when food was served he simply gobbled down a large pile of raw meat and a bowl of water while in his wolf form.  
With the twins and Emelie secure on his back again he headed into the deep forest, letting the pull on his aura guide him.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Zealots_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

It didn't take long before they found themselves at the foot of a cliff and their target was somewhere beyond.  
_“I don't think I can safely climb this with you girls on my back, let's take a break and I will scout ahead.”_  
They quickly unloaded the supplies and with a shimmer Takeshi returned the harness to within his soul before heading up the steep incline.  
When he returned he had traded the wolf form for that of a raptor and a few meters above the ground he resumed his true form.  
“It's no good, it gets even steeper further ahead, I can make it with the supplies, but not with passengers. You are going to have to fly them there Em. ”  
The twins instantly cheered, but Emelie looked slightly apprehensive.

While she gladly carried the twins on short flights, close to the ground, the idea of carrying them high above the forest scared her and despite trying Takeshi had not been able to use his power to boost his flight, so his ability to carry items was limited, the twins were much too heavy for him to do more than perhaps slow a descent enough to keep them from getting killed.  
She could carry their weight easily, but she worried that she would drop them, especially if they squirmed to look at something of interest.  
“Take, please. Is there no other way? You know I...”  
He never let her finish her worries, instead he brought out a set of kumo-silk gang-lines and pushed them into her hands.  
“I swear you have an entire warehouse of random junk hidden away in there.”  
Emelie shook her head with a sigh.  
“We can use these to secure them so they can't fall, I promise they will be safe.”  
She gave him a hesitant nod.  
_“You won't drop them, trust me. You have carried them many times and you have never been even close to dropping them, trust yourself.”  
_He added silently to soothe her worries without risking the twins getting worried.  
Once everything was done they headed up the side of the mountain and met up at a small clearing close to the summit where they girls once again were strapped into the harness and he headed of toward call, they were nearly there now, the call coming from a small valley just over the ridge.

“ _This is the place, I can feel it like a beacon. It must be at the center of this valley.”  
_When Takeshi _s_ tepped into the valley they could feel a slight shift in the energy around them, they had passed through some sort of a barrier and as they walked on the forest opened up into a beautiful clearing.  
The clearing was home to a decrepit stone tower and a few low walls, once it had probably been a guard tower of some sort, maybe a forest monastery or temple, moss and lichen covered stone walls still circled a small garden overgrown with herbs and flowers, and next to a few gnarled fruit trees was the remains of a small house.  
The wooden roof had long since given in to time, but the stone walls and chimney still remained and were now home to clinging plants and a few birds nests.  
As the walked through the garden Takeshi could have sworn he heard laughter and the reaction from the twins told him they had heard it as well.

“Look!”  
They jumped and pointed toward the small dry pond.  
“Look, fairies!”

As Takeshi focused on the point where they pointed the sound of laughter grew stronger and with a shimmer the scene in front of them changed, the garden no longer looking quite as overgrown.  
It was still wild, but in a manner that showed someone was clearing out the weeds and the small pond now held water and plants, the stone buildings still looked worn but now the roofing was intact.  
And all around them the source of the bell like laughter was flittering about, tiny female looking creatures, some with wings like butterflies or the sheer wings of a dragonfly, others seemed to float from one plant to another.  
In the pond some seemed to change between mist and corporeal form as they wove in and out among the reeds and cattails while others were resting on the pads and in the flowers of the water lilies that were flowering out of season.

“Not fairies, these are nymphs and sylphs, forest spirits.”  
The moment he spoke they seemed to realize he could see them and instantly hid among the plants.  
“No! You scared them, they're all hiding now.”  
The twins scolded him while trying to spot the hiding creatures.  
“Hmm, indeed I did. Let's sit down here so they can see we don't mean them any harm.”

Sitting down he focused on calming his aura into a soothing pattern, the nymphs didn't seem to be afraid of the twins, or Emelie and he figured it was related to the innocence of youth and the fact that Emelie was a demon and as such she was closer related to the nymphs than to humans, he still registered as a human to other creatures, although a human with powers.  
He could still feel the strong call that seemed to emanate from somewhere below the tower, but didn't want to enter until the creatures that made this shielded valley their home was more comfortable with his presence.  
They might seem like peaceful, fragile and weak creatures, but nymphs and sylphs could be very dangerous if provoked, they could call on the animals of the forests as well as plants and elements and many wanderers had found themselves hopelessly lost after angering a nymph.  
The sensation from the area around them and from the small pond gave Takeshi an idea and he slowly began to pull on the Blessing within and allowing those energies to flow into his aura, perhaps the somewhat kindred energy would calm the nymphs and help them trust him at least a little.  
Shortly after he could tell it was working as they slowly came out from their hiding places, and after a while one braved his presence and flitted up to Emelie.

“Daughter of the First Mother, you bring a Son of the Flame-bringers, the Destroyers of Life, into the Sacred Groove of the Children of the Forest. Why?”  
The beautiful voice was tainted by fear and anger as it questioned Emelie.  
“I, we came because we feel the power calling us.”  
Emelie tried to explain but the spirit just seemed more agitated.  
“Impossible, this place exists to protect us from his kind!”  
Takeshi choose to speak up himself, if only to shift the focus of the enraged spirit away from Emelie and onto himself in case it lashed out.  
“And yet here I am, called by the power, granted passage through your barrier. Perhaps you should see that not all men are the same.”  
He was instantly engulfed in a torrent of furious winds that clawed at his skin and with a low growl he could feel the sum of his powers respond and rise, mixing black and red as it burst free from its confines.  
He could hear the gasp from Emelie as the powerful wind beat down against her wings that she had brought up to shield herself and the twins from the winds and behind their protective embrace he heard the twins confused whimper.

“ **Enough!** ”  
With a massive pulse of energy he shattered the winds around him and a clawed hand instantly shot out and grabbed the sylph that had attacked him, binding her with tendrils of black fire and smoke.  
**“We will not allow your fears, no matter how well founded, to place our pack in danger, to scare our pups.”**  
The growl present in his voice and the choice of words made it obvious to Emelie that the Beast had pushed itself to the forefront of his mind, maybe even taken over completely.

“That is enough Shadow, recede and allow the true owner control of that body.”  
A female voice suddenly spoke up from the doorway leading into the tower.  
**“Control your servants,** _ **Balrog**_ **and I will stand back.”**  
An extremely tall woman walked out from the tower and slowly walked over to them.  
Emelie estimated that she had to be about 2.5 meters tall and she was clothed in fire and black metal, her skin looked to be black but it was cracked and bright red and yellow shone through, like lava flowing under a cooled surface, even her hair was flames flowing down her back, a balrog, fire-demon, indeed.  
“I do apologize for any harm she might have caused, but please stay your retribution, she acted out of fear, not malice.”  
The Beast huffed and retreated slightly but did not release the sylph and its power could still be seen in the wisps of black smoke that laced through Takeshi's aura.  
Holding her hand out the balrog silently requested that she be given the sylph and after a few moments Takeshi placed the still bound creature on her palm.  
“The bindings will release on their own when she is calm.”  
The sylph was quickly placed in a hidden pocket before the female spoke to them again.

“The reason for her fear is the same as the reason for the summoning, the spirits of the forest have been hunted to the brink of extinction by an order of zealots who claim to be holy men and women. The few dozen you see here are all that remains in a forest that once was home to over a hundred thousand of them, they have been safe here as the order who still hunts them could not find this sacred valley. But now they have brought a true seer into their midst, corrupted her and used her to find this place, I can feel her sight brushing against the wards, soon they will find us and they will come to destroy this place.”  
She bowed down before them.  
“I beg of you, please save these Children of the Forest! Without them the forest will die.”

They all looked at the demon bowing before then, begging for their aid.  
“Rise please, and tell us your name.”  
Emelie was the first to act as Takeshi was still struggling to suppress the Beast.  
“I am Isa, the Soul smith.”  
“Sarah!”  
“Maria!”  
The twins instantly piped up while Emelie snorted.  
“I am Emelie and our growling companion is Takeshi, but you may address us as Em and Take.”  
“Oh, I know of the wielder of Kiryu's blade, how could I not? After all I helped the crazy old lizard forge it.”

There was a flare of power once again and for the second time of his life Takeshi saw the dragon manifest in the physical world only to instantly pounce on the demon who had introduced herself as Isa.  
It would seem the shielded valley held enough power for her to manifest without endangering him.  
“Hmph, I see the lizard thing is still a sore subject.”  
Isa muttered from beneath the body of the dragon who answered by digging her claws in deeper.  
“Fine! Dragon it is.”  
The twins had been staring in silence, but when Kiryu shrank down to the size of a squirrel and hopped onto Takeshi's shoulder they both squealed in delight.  
“How cute!”  
“She is pretty!”  
Takeshi could swear the dragon was preening on her perch.

“So I take it you two know each other then?”  
Takeshi asked once the twins had settled down a bit.  
“She may be many things that dragon of yours, but trust me, she is no smith. She would be unable to forge even the simplest blade even if her life depended on it, much less a high quality blade such as this.”  
She reached out toward Takeshi and he was shocked when she simply drew the blade from his soul and removed it from its sheath.  
“Poor thing, how they have mishandled you.”  
She tutted as she inspected the edge of the blade.  
“But not by you, Take. I can feel your energy in the blade, healing it, strengthening it. You have wielded her true and proper. Please, allow me to repair and hone her edge so that she might serve you as true.”  
After a quick glance at the dragon Takeshi nodded his agreement to allow Isa to work on the blade and when she held it out toward him he simply slid his hand over the edge to pay its price of blood before she returned it to is sheathe.  
_**“You will rework her, bind them together so that she will never again be passed on to another. If Takeshi should fall she will fall with him, shattering into the winds and the Kiryu name with her.”  
**_The dragon spoke and the smith nodded.  
“I had a feeling you would ask that of us, and she agrees. She has no desire to ever be held by another unless it is to protect **his** life, or what he values the most.”  
She placed the blade back within Takeshi's soul before turning to Emelie.

“She tells me you have no weapon of your own, and that you have fallen for the art of the bladed spear.”  
Emelie just nodded, slightly confused at how Isa referred to Takeshi's blade as if it was a person.  
“It shows that you are well in tune with your instincts despite having grown up among humans, and being reborn without kin to guide you. The scythe has long been the weapon of choice of the Succubi, especially the highborn ones, the Lilim.”  
When Isa mentioned Emelie's rebirth she blushed slightly and her tail immediately searched out Takeshi and wrapped itself tightly around his wrist.  
“So he was your guide. It is always good if there is a bond between the guide and the one going through the rebirth.”  
_**“Only they had no idea what was going on, she was untouched and he was concerned about the appropriateness of such an intimacy with the daughter of a fallen comrade, who also happened to have been a close friend and lover.”  
**_Kiryu snickered which caused Emelie's blush to shift into a deep scarlet.  
“And you of course said nothing to explain the problem?”  
_**“They did fine on their own, did they not?”  
**_Kiryu snorted while inspecting her claws, the truth however was that the Fates had forbidden the old dragon from telling them anything.  
“How about we stop embarrassing Em and get back on track?”  
Takeshi hid his own blush well, he would rather not be reminded of that particular part of the events.  
“Indeed. As I was saying, if you can show me that the scythe suits you I will forge a true demon scythe for you and my price will be that you assist in protecting this valley.”  
When Isa finished Emelie just nodded.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Zealots_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


“Just what kind of attack can we expect?”  
Takeshi decided to go straight to the point.  
“When, where, how many, any powers other than a seer, weapons? I need to know as much as possible.”  
“They will come here, I do not know when, but it will be soon.”  
Isa sighed and began to tell him what he asked to know.

She explained that the valley was home to the primary nexus that bound together the flow of energy in the forest.  
In the past there had been other places that had aided in channeling the vast life-force that flowed through the lands.  
Ponds and tarns, stone formations, even warden trees had been key points in directing the flow, but about 10 years ago an old monk order had resurfaced and they were set on _Purging the lands from the taint of evil._  
Taking their beliefs from an old Templar order they deemed every creature with powers beyond those of a mortal and all not of the mortal realm to be evil unless they were sworn to their order.  
They had swiftly searched out the nexus points and destroyed them using modern explosives combined with old mysticism, destroying the sites and killing the spirits that cared for them and who were dependent on the flow of energy.

“The order is about 100 man strong, most of them with weapons training, firearms and explosives. Quite a few are able to wield power in various forms, mainly bindings and barriers, but some of them are able to imbue power into weapons, even explosives causing them to do massive damage to any form of spirit or demon and even destroy a nexus completely, dissipating the energies, but I believe these abilities comes from their Seer. And finally, the leader, he wields and old Templar blade, blessed brightmetal, deadly to anything demonic or Fae, even the slightest scratch can kill the nymphs.”  
She finished her explanation.  
“Any ideas as to how to handle them?”  
Takeshi pushed on with a glance toward the pond where Emelie and Kiryu were entertaining the twins.

“I think their seer is the key, until they came across her they were no threat. But ever since they brought her into the order they began to manifest powers, they were suddenly able to locate nexus points, able to imbue weapons with power and break through barriers. I believe she might be the vessel of a reborn Avatar, that would explain how she can give power to others. As an immature vessel she would not have the knowledge of what she is but still be able to tap into the power of the Avatar she is supposed to become.”  
Takeshi went over the information in his head for a while before speaking up.  
“So if we take out their seer, the rest should fall. But I must say, it sounds like she might be a victim as well.”  
“She probably is, she has been raised by them, all she knows is their way.”  
Isa agreed with a sigh.  
“How old is she?”  
“I would guess she is around 16.”  
Takeshi cursed loudly causing the twins to look at him wide eyed.  
The seer was little more than a child, brainwashed, and he might end up having to kill her.  
But if it came down to that he would have little choice, this place could not be allowed to fall just to spare the life of one girl.  
He could feel Emelie walk up behind him and wrap her wings around them, offering what support she could.  
_“Let's hope we can find a way to end this without her having to die. And if it comes down to it, allow her to die without suffering. I know you, you will not allow her to die if it can be avoided.”  
_He simply leaned back against her, allowing her to be his anchor while he tried to figure something out.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Zealots_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

As it became clear that they might be staying quite a while Takeshi returned to their camp and reinforced the wards, he also picked up the twin snakes, they would be safe in the small pool under the care of the nymphs.  
To pass time Takeshi and Isa decided to help Emelie with the finer details about how to fight with a scythe while the twins played with their sisters and the nymphs under the watchful eye of Kiryu.

“Ah, this training weapon, I know Doufaran's work when I see it. This is most fortunate, I can use this as a base to forge your weapon if it allows it. Please, may I touch it?”  
Isa's eagerness surprised Emelie somewhat but somehow it felt like it was right, proper.  
“I guess.”  
Emelie handed Isa her training weapon and after a while the Balrog smith smiled at them.  
“Doufaran's work agrees to allow me to reforge its metal into a true weapon for you.”  
Takeshi and Emelie could both feel the truth of Isa's words.  
“We will work on your form for now. Your soul needs to be prepared for the process, and that unfortunately takes time, I will try, but I don't think we will be able to make it before the attack.”  
“It's not like we have much else to do.”  
Emelie grumbled slightly, but she was eager to have a blade of her own crafted, a blade that would be hers the same way the ryuken was Takeshi's.

And while Emelie longed for a blade of her own, Takeshi watched as Isa prepared to reforge his blade.  
“Come, join me at my forge.”  
Isa motioned for Takeshi to follow her down underneath the tower, and into a portal that connected the tower basement with a volcanic forge somewhere in a realm beyond the human.  
“I will need to take a piece of your soul, this will not be pleasant.”  
“I know. But don't worry, it's not the first time I have surrendered a piece of myself, though I do understand this will require more than ever before.”  
“That's good, it will make things easier of you are able to manipulate your aura, your soul, into rising and force a part of it to extend outside their normal shape.”  
Takeshi carefully did as she asked, preparing himself for the pain of separating a part of his soul, but despite the preparation he nearly threw up when Isa cut away the fragment and stored it within a crystal.  
“You did well young chosen, now rest while Kiryu and I prepare the rest of the items needed.”  
Takeshi sat down, but he watched as Isa removed several of Kiryu's scales, fangs and talons before collecting some of her blood in a chalice.  
“I need some dragon-stone as well.”  
Takeshi watched as Kiryu allowed some blood to gather in her hand before crystallizing it into something similar to obsidian that she handed to Isa.

“It's time, draw the blade.”  
Takeshi did as Isa asked, drawing the ryuken from his soul he dragged his palm along the edge to smear the entire blade in blood before giving it to Isa.  
“Please, be careful...”  
“I will, don't worry. But before I start, you should wear this, it will dim the bonds you have forged, prevent those who you care for from feeling your pain.”  
Takeshi accepted the amulet that Isa offered him and placed it around his neck, combining his soul with the blade would make him feel every hit of the hammer, every second in the heat of the molten lava that powered the hearth of the forge.  
What followed could only be described as soul searing agony as the piece of his soul was bound into the blade and the blade reforged, adding more of Kiryu's power into it, and irrevocably binding it to him.  
When Isa handed him the reforged blade he ran his hand along it, uncaring that the perfectly honed edge easily cut into is flesh and drank deeply from his blood, inspecting it he didn't notice any difference in its appearance, but when he called on its power he noticed that his own fiery red aura mixed with the black flames of the ryujin.  
When he sensed the flicker of awareness within the blade his breath stilled and his eyes widened.  
“Good, you can feel her. All the blades of great power are sapient, a mind and spirit of their own, and to wield their true power the wielder must know them, accept them, and be accepted by them.”  
Isa explained to him about sapient blades and that in time he would learn to fully communicate with his, unleashing its true potential.  
  
In the end even Kiryu had been surprised when it had only taken Takeshi a few days to figure out how to speak to his blade.

Isa had showed them the inner nexus, a meteoric stone that pulsed with power, beckoning Takeshi to touch it and as he did he could _feel_ the forest, every tree, every animal and beneath it all he could feel the familiar flow that he recognized as the Mother, pure life.  
Isa had been startled that he had been allowed to touch the nexus, telling him that only a truly G _entle Soul_ was allowed to do so and that she found it strange that he, who was the epitome of a warrior, was allowed.

Touching the Nexus however triggered a series of events that had Takeshi very unsettled, and concerned for the safety of his little family.  
It drew the attention of the Forest Queen, a powerful nymph who was as vile as she was beautiful.  
And she was obviously interested in Takeshi, and tried to entice him to bed her.  
Takeshi had bedded several of the more powerful spirits in the valley, they were curious and highly sexual creatures and Emelie had grown to like several of them, and those whom she liked she had no objections to sharing Takeshi with.  
The attacks on the spirits had killed almost all their males, and Takeshi's ability to sire offspring that became whatever their mother was had the potential to help repopulating their numbers.  
But neither Takeshi nor Emelie or the twins could stand the Forest Queen, she was cruel and vain, treating the other spirits like slaves, or possessions, using them for her own entertainment.

“No! I am Co-alpha of pack Kiryu and I will not permit it! You will not bed this female!”  
Takeshi struggled not to sigh in relief when Emelie stepped in between him and the Forest Queen and forbade him to be with her, it spared him the hassle of having to turn her down, and evade her constant offers.  
But it also made Emelie a target, and he wouldn't put it beneath the vile creature to target the twins to get to them, which made him restless.  
Fortunately though she was also a coward, so she hid beyond the veil, in a hidden castle within the realm of the Fae, and she was poorly liked by the other elemental spirits which offered a certain measure of protection against any orders she might give.  
And as foolish as the female creature was, she did know better than to mess with the defense of her lands.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Zealots_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

The attack they all waited for came on _Litha_ , the summer solstice.  
In their belief that they were fighting creatures of darkness and evil the monks chose the longest day to attack, thinking that anything born of darkness would be weakened on such a powerful day of light.  
A choice they would soon come to regret.

There are days when the veil between worlds is thinner;  
Like _Samhain_ , also known as All Hallows Eve, or just Halloween.  
A night when the veil between the world of the living and the spirits of the afterlife is at its thinnest, allowing the departed to visit the still living, it was probably the one best known to humans.  
On the night of the summer solstice the veil between the world of man and the realm of the Fae would lift and in doing so it would allow the nymphs and sprites to draw power from the abundance of power within that realm, allowing them their full power.

“The barrier has fallen!”  
The voice of a sylph carried on the wind as it brushed against Takeshi's face and with a deep breath he steeled himself and drew his blade.  
“Children of the Forest, take no chances, your lives are precious. Separate the Seer from her keepers.”  
Takeshi's words were met by a chorus of cries, telling him the spirits were ready to fight.  
“Sarah, Maria, stay in the tower. Kiryu-sama, Isa, please protect what is mine.”  
The twins, the smith and the dragon all promised to do as he asked.

Not long after the fall of the barrier the intruders entered the clearing and Takeshi's focus was instantly drawn to the crate they carried, his senses telling him that it contained explosives enhanced with power that would destroy everything within the hidden valley.  
Feeling heat at his side Takeshi turned to see a salamander with her hand held out for him and with a nod he took her hand and allowed Kiryu's black flames to rise and the salamander drank them in greedily before arching back and spewing fire.  
Takeshi watched as the stream of black and white flames struck the explosives cache and the two monks guarding it, and both cache and guards were instantly incinerated without a trace, not even ashes remained.  
“You did well little one, now go, stay away from the powers that would do you harm. Go guard your clutch.”  
Takeshi urged the reptilian creature to withdraw and after a moment of hesitation she did as he asked.  
Takeshi would have preferred not to kill the guards, but the salamander was young and lacked experience with using her power at full force, and he knew just how hard Kiryu's shadow-flame was to control.  
The salamander had done well to restrict the damage to the cache and the two guards, the destruction of the cache didn't mean the danger was over though.

Takeshi was unsure how much time had passed when he spotted a female figure in a white, veiled, habit that was escorted by a handful of heavily armed monks.  
“It's the Seer, go, as we planned.”  
It didn't take long to separate the Seer and her guards from the others, and between Takeshi's command and Emelie's seduction the male guards were quickly separated from their charge as Takeshi wove power into his voice and lured her to his side and removed the veil.

“Monster! Release me demon!”  
The Seer was screaming her demands at him and the mindless zealots echoed her cries.  
_“They call you Seer and yet you are unable to see Me?”  
_His voice was heavy with the influence of his power as he tried to force her to use her power on him.  
_“Look at me Seer, see me for what I am.”  
_Forcing her to her knees harshly he kneeled down in front of her and took hold of her head gently, just enough force to prevent her from turning away.  
_“Just use your power, look within my soul and all this will be over.”_  
Mixing harshness, violence and threats with kindness, gentleness, promises and even seduction was one of many interrogation techniques he had been trained in by the GCTI, the method rendered the victim emotionally confused, making them easier to control, and could trigger the development of Stockholm-syndrome.  
“Monster! Demon! Evil!”  
Trying to keep her eyes closed she kept throwing accusations at him.  
_“Look beyond what they have taught you, look beneath the surface. See Me!”  
_

He could hear the zealots calling to her, telling her not to listen to his words, warning her of the power in his voice and he was actually impressed with how well she was able to resist his _command_ , it seemed something protected her from the brunt of its influence.  
“Tempter! Siren! Lies!”  
_“Then use your power, see the truth for yourself. Look through the web of words. You have the power to see the_ _ **truth**_ _, use it.”  
_He could feel her aura wavering under his own  
“No, stop. I can't. I mustn't”

It was becoming obvious to Takeshi that the order had taught her to fear her power and his theory was confirmed when one of the more important looking attackers yelled at her that her soul would be lost if she used her power outside of the _Sacred Chamber_ or for any reason not sanctioned by _God_.  
_“They fear you Seer, fear your power. Fear that you will look at them and see their lies, their corruption.”  
_He cursed silently to himself as he leaned in closer to whisper in her ear, brushing his lips along her cheek, he hated to take advantage of his abilities like this, to take advantage of her emotionally fragile state, but it was either that or outright killing her.  
_“I don't fear you power. I don't fear_ _ **you**_ _, Seer. Look at Me, see the truth.”_  
Drawing back slightly he took hold of her chin and gently tilted her head so that she would have to look into his eyes if she opened her own.  
_“Open your eyes and see. Please.”  
_

He could feel the moment her resistance broke, with tears forming at the corners of her eyes she finally opened them to reveal the intense, dark, purple she had been hiding.  
Then her eyes went blank before the color drained from them and they took on the appearance of mercury, signaling that she was in the thrall of her power.  
_“That's it, good. Now look at me, look past my darkness and see what rests beneath.”  
_He knew she would see his darkness first, she had been taught all her life to look for it so she would without even thinking.  
She would see the Beast, the monster he was capable of being, she would see the killer.  
And she would fear what she was seeing.  
“Darkness. Monster. Murderer! No!”  
She cried out and tried to turn her head away as the thrall of her power would not let her close her eyes.  
_“Ssh, easy, I know. But don't fear the darkness, look past it and see what lies beneath.”  
_Slowly he guided her into looking deeper into his soul and slowly he could feel her relax.  
“So warm, so much hope.”  
She murmured with an almost awed tone and he helped her to her feet and turned her to face the the order that had raised her.

Pulling her tightly against his body he placed his claws gently against her throat, not to control her or threaten her, she would feel it as little more than a caress, but it would keep the zealots from trying to get closer.  
_“Now look at them, see them for what they are. See what they truly intend, see their desires.”  
_He could feel her shiver as she looked at the zealot foot soldiers one by one.  
“Fear. Emptiness. Blind servitude. Lost souls.”  
Her mumbled words telling him what she was seeing as she looked at the followers, when her gaze shifted toward the acolytes her voice was tainted by fear.  
“Anger. Hate. Greed. Corrupt.”  
And when she finally looked at the leader a violent shiver ran through her and she spun around with a shriek, burying her head against his chest and between her terrified sobs she whispered what she had seen.  
“Torture. Murder. Rape. **Evil!** ”

“ _Ssh, easy now, close your eyes. You don't have to look anymore.”  
_As he held the crying girl close he could feel her power receding and the shocked gasps revealed that she had also withdrawn the power that she had unknowingly given.  
But when she looked up at him her eyes were still mercury.  
“I need to see, need to forget. Please let me see that warm darkness again.”  
Understanding what she wanted he just nodded and locked eyes with her, allowing her to seek out whatever it was she needed to see to be able to put the horror of looking into the corrupt soul of the leader of the order behind her.  
“Thank you.”  
She whispered before her eyes returned to purple and she slumped against him, unconscious.  
Picking her up carefully he once again focused on the scene in front of him.

“Em, take her please, bring her into the tower.”  
With the seer freed from their influence and confirmation that the others were truly lost they would be killed and he didn't want Emelie to witness the massacre, he was sure the spirits would mete out a most gruesome revenge for their lost kin.  
“You should come as well, you don't need to see this anymore than I do.”  
Emelie placed her hand on his arm and tried to pull him along but he didn't move.  
“No, I have to fight, we can't risk them fighting that blessed blade.”  
Emelie just nodded with a sigh as she took the unconscious girl and headed into the tower.  
Once they were inside Takeshi drew his blade and raised his voice to carry across the valley.  
“The rest are corrupt, bring them the justice of you kin!”

The reaction was instant as powers turned from defensive to aggressively offensive and Takeshi quickly moved in to intercept the leader as he was the only one able to deal with the blessed blade the leader of the order wielded.  
Isa had told him that it was part of the reason she wanted to work on his blade, to increase her ability to withstand contact with the Templar sword, but after the complete reforge she was now immune to its effects.

“Ha! Your demon forged weapon won't stand a chance against a true Templar sword!”  
The man was clearly insane as he lunged wildly against Takeshi, swinging his sword wide making it easy to deflect.  
“She may have been forged by a demon, but she is **dragon** , tempered by a human soul, **my soul**! She will not suffer under the touch of blessed brightmetal.”  
Twisting his body Takeshi locked the blades, forcing the insane man to face him up close.  
“Hear how she sings in joy, how she yearns to dance!”  
It was true, she was singing in his mind, begging him to unleash her in the deadly dance, but as he locked her against the other sword he could feel a second voice, screaming in agony and sorrow and he realized it was the Templar blade and part of him knew it was sapient and not a willing participant in the fight.  
“Yours, she screams in agony, cries for the atrocities you have committed with her, she mourns her true purpose.”  
While he could feel the other blade more than hear it, his own Ryuken translated, told him of the other blade.

She was forged and blessed to be a guardian, to only kill the most heinous evils whose taint was too strong for regular steel, but it made Takeshi wonder, why she would allow herself to be wielded like this.

Pulling back, the leader of the order once again screamed at Takeshi and readied another lunge.  
“It's a holy weapon! Forged to kill the blasphemers, the unbelievers, the enemies of _God_!”  
Takeshi merely danced away from his lunge, trying to avoid contact with the other blade until he had figured out what to do about it.  
_“The ring!”  
_His Ryuken sang in his mind and he questioned her, asking her to explain what she spoke of.  
_“It's the Templar Signet, it subjugates her, forces her to allow anyone who wears it to wield her!”  
_He thanked her and as he shifted his stance he could hear her final song, asking him to free the other blade, one way or another, which he gladly swore he would.  
“You may have subjugated a magnificent blade, but you know nothing of wielding her, nothing of kenjutsu or kendo.”  
Moments later Takeshi had once again locked the blades together, this time a twist of his own blade forced the other blade from the hand of her wielder.  
Another swift move and the hand with the ring joined the blade on the moss covered ground.  
“Impossible! I am _God's_ Anointed Knight! I am the Templar that will vanquish all **His** enemies! I am...”  
The leader never got to finish his crazed rant, his voice fell silent and his eyes glazed over as his head fell to the side, no longer attached to his body.  
“You were nothing but an empty shell, corrupt to the core.”  
Takeshi spoke in a low voice, turning his back on the body as the spirits descended on it.

With a flare of power he burned the offending blood from his blade and returned her to his soul before reaching for the severed hand, and the ring it still wore.  
With the ring in his left hand he kneeled down by the fallen blade and gently touched the hilt and he was met with a torrent of emotions.  
Fear, joy, longing, remorse and when he carefully picked the blade up he noticed the strange design of its pommel, clearly the ring was supposed to be a part of the design.  
“Never again will you be subjugated if I have any say in the matter.”  
He promised as he returned the ring to its rightful place and he could feel relief and gratitude from the blade.  
_“If you do not wish to be wielded by me I swear I will never draw you, but will you allow me to carry you until you find someone you deem worthy to wield you?”  
_He hoped the blade would be able to hear him and the almost instant reaction told him that it had.  
The blade glowed and changed form into that of a katana, mirroring the Ryuken but where it was as black as the night this blade was white and bright silver.  
Where the horimono of his Ryuken was the flames of a dragon this blade instead displayed the words of its blessing written in sacred scripts along the blade.  
And he could her her sing to him, there was no doubt the spirit of this blade was female, her words suddenly clear.  
_“I am free! If you swear to wield me true I am yours!”  
_There was no hesitation in his mind, he would place his oath to wield her true.  
_“What is your name blade? So I may place my oath, make you sister to the Ryuken.”  
“I was Glenys but you may name me as you wish.”  
“Beautiful, Pure, Holy, a most fitting name, I see no reason to replace that unless you want me to.”  
“Then Glenys I am, now and forever.”  
_He gave the blade his oath to never misuse her, to always wield her true to her purpose and then returned her to her sheath before drawing both blades and going through a set of twin blade moves and he marveled at how they sang together before he sheathed them both, noting that he would need a new holder for the sayas that would fit both blades to let him sheathe and draw them comfortably.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Zealots_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“ _Take, come. Something is wrong with the girl, hurry.”_  
Emelie's worried words brought him out of his musings and he hurried inside.  
“Here, hurry! I don't know what happened, suddenly her energies just began fading. I think she's dying.”  
Takeshi had to agree with her assessment, the Seer was dying, fading away fast.  
For a moment he was at a loss as for what to do, he could feel that he would not be able to change her, to grant her the Blessing, as vessel to an Avatar she was already considered _Other,_ but a sudden feeling made him pick her up and head toward the nexus.  
“Take, what are you doing?”  
“A hunch, hurry.”

When Isa tried to stop him from taking the girl into the small room that was home to the nexus Emelie reacted instantly and pounced her, drawing on her full power as a Lilim to hold the older and larger demon back.  
“Let him do what he must do!”  
Kneeling down by the nexus he carefully took the seer's hands and placed them on the meteoric stone, placing his own over them to keep them in place as the essence of the forest flowed through them.  
He could feel her aura stabilizing and growing stronger again, then suddenly she was awake and twisted around in his arms and much to his surprise she was kissing him and something in the action seemed to plead with him and without thinking he pulled her close and returned the kiss.  
A few moments later she broke of the kiss and he heard a whispered _Thank you_ followed by a shift in her aura and he knew, knew that the one in his arms was no longer the girl, the Seer, it was now an Avatar, of what, he didn't know.

“Thank you for freeing my vessel and bringing me here so I could be reborn. The Avatar of Life chose well.”  
Helping her to her feet Takeshi couldn't help being curious about just what she was the Avatar of.  
“Isa! That is enough.”  
The Avatar's words were sharp, an order, and she seemed to know the demon smith already.  
“Avatar! How? The Seer? I should have known.. I'm sorry.”  
Isa was all but blabbering, barely coherent as she kneeled down before them.  
“So, is that the _truth behind the legend_ that explains _Sleeping Beauty_?”  
Emelie teased from the doorway, obviously having seen what happened during her scuffle with Isa.  
“No hard feelings I hope, Lilim?”  
The Avatar smiled wide as she turned to Emelie.  
“Nah, just remember to give him back when you are done, I kinda need him for dinner.”  
Her response caused the others, save for Takeshi, to break down into laughter.

“Females...”  
He muttered before grabbing Emelie and kissing her senseless which caused more laughs and cheering.  
With a smirk he unleashed his aura around her while keeping his touch slow and gentle.  
“Just dinner, huh?”  
He whispered as he nibbled lightly at her ear, and that sweet spot behind it and was instantly rewarded with an overwhelming peppermint and a frustrated groan.  
“Take!”  
It took everything he had to keep his actions deliberately slow and gentle, something in him wanted her to beg, to admit he was more than just a _meal_.  
“Oh my, and here I thought it was the succubus that was supposed to seduce the man, not the other way around.”  
The Avatar chuckled at them, reminding him they were not alone in the room, but the same part of him that wanted Emelie to beg didn't seem to care, and a soft voice from the dragon told him that she would be taking the twins to get something to eat and he felt rather than saw them leave the nexus chamber together with Isa, but the Avatar remained and she seemed content to watch their encounter.

“I understand this is all confusing to you, but come, gather around and allow me to at least explain some if it. I warn you though, there are many things the Fates will not permit me to reveal.”  
“Yeah, were used to that.”  
Emelie's huffing quip had the Avatar laughing.  
“The Fates are not always easy to deal with. But you seem to be handling things fairly well young Lilim.”  
“One of the first things I learned when I met Take was to roll with the punches. Makes life so much easier.”  
“That is indeed a healthy outlook when dealing with meddling Fates.”  
The Avatar snickered before starting the promised explanation.  
“As you are no doubt aware of by now, I'm an Avatar. My aspect is this forest and as the forest cycles through the seasons I must also die and be reborn, though at a much slower rate. Somehow the rogue order found my reborn vessel and managed to corrupt her, make her use the fragment of my power that she possessed”  
She explained that her power was connected with the forest, and the nexus, which allowed them to track it down, and get past the barriers.  
“But thanks to you we were able to save the primary nexus, and I was able to awaken. It will take time, but I can regrow the network, and as it reforms new elementals will form. And my senses tell me that our champion here has also helped assure that some will be born from the survivors as well, ones that will be more than just elementals.”

Her mention of Takeshi's assistance in repopulating her protectors and servants caused a round of teasing.  
“It was my pleasure.”  
“Oh, we have no doubt of that.”  
The females all agreed with gleeful laughter.  
“Now, if you excuse. As much as I would enjoy to further my assistance with the repopulation of the Children of the Forest, I need to meditate tonight. I need to communicate with Glenys, get to know her, learn about her purpose, her desires.”  
“Of course. There are so few of the sapient ones still around, most have been destroyed, or driven insane.”  
“She is on the edge, she has suffered so much. They used a ring that was part of her to subjugate her, and force her to allow them to wield her.”  
Takeshi could feel Glenys' emotions, pain, sorrow and guilt was ravaging her and if he could do anything to help her he would.

 

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Banished Templar_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Em, it's time.”  
Isa interrupted the training session when Emelie charged a pulse of her power through her training weapon that knocked Takeshi on his back.  
“May I watch?”  
Takeshi got up and approached Isa with avid curiosity.  
“As your power is ingrained into the weapon already you may watch. Doufaran no doubt had good reason for making you part of the process.”  
“When he made my training blades he made them larger than what we estimated my final blades would be, that left us with an ingot of the alloy when they were completed. Part of that ingot was added to Em's alloy so that her weapon would know me.”  
“Hmph, that crazy old codger always did have his own ideas. But it seems to have worked nicely.”  
“Do I detect a touch of professional jealousy?”  
Takeshi teased lightly which made Isa snort at him and whack him on the back of the head with her tail.

“Take, since you will be here you might as well be useful. If you distract her she won't suffer as much.”  
“Distract her how?”  
“She's a succubus.. Screw her brains out you dummy.”  
Isa was well aware that her answer wasn't really what he had asked for, but she very much enjoyed teasing the pair.  
There was more to it though, sexual activity would help release Emelie's power and make it easier to bind the weapon to her, and a strong release would allow for more power to be forged into the weapon.  
Isa took a few breaths to center herself an focus on her task before picking up Emelie's training staff, including the attachable blades and placed them next to the forge before calling up her elemental powers.

As a balrog fire and lava was her domain, abilities she used to stoke the flames of her forge to get it hot enough to be able to melt the enchanted alloy created by Doufaran, his methods were unconventional, but she had to admit he made some pretty amazing alloys.  
This particular alloy was made to be able to withstand a lot of power, and part of the power used in making it was Takeshi's, and laced within his power was the power of a Shadowflame dragon.  
It was just a tiny flicker of that power within the alloy, but it was enough to make it extremely heat resilient, pushing the melting point way higher than it would be without the infusion of power.  
Like her, Doufaran had elemental abilities tied to fire and heat that allowed him to melt materials at extreme temperatures.

Once she was satisfied the forge was hot enough she placed the weapon parts into the crucible and waited for it to melt, the next step was something very few were able to do, the creation of a soul blade was a very different process compared to forging a normal weapon.  
Soul blades could be created in two ways, the first was the way of the true soul blades, they were a manifestation of pure power, the solidified aura of their wielder, and they would normally either be created intentionally with years of intense training, or manifest naturally in a moment of great need.  
Second was the crafted soul blades like the one Isa was about to create, a suitable alloy was created to match the intended wielder, then a skilled soulsmith like Isa would force the liquid alloy to bond with the soul of the wielder, allowing the soul to give the blade its form, but it was an extremely painful process.

Isa was slightly surprised at how easy it was to guide Emelie's aura to the crucible of molten metal and despite the distance from the body the tendril of energy was brimming with power.  
Inspecting the energy closer revealed that Takeshi was part of the reason, he was using his own soul, his power, to create a conduit to support and guide Emelie's energy where it needed to go, while at the same time keeping her on the edge to make sure her power would be flowing freely.  
Once all the preparations were done Isa decided to do a bit of a gamble, if Takeshi could push Emelie over the edge at the moment of the formation of the weapon it could increase the potency of the process.  
“Take, finisher on 3.”  
She didn't explain, hoping he would hear and understand as she counted down.  
“2”  
“1”

The explosion of power that followed made it perfectly clear that he had indeed understood her and when the bright glow settled down a beautiful scythe rested atop the crucible, unbothered by the heat of the forge.  
Leaning in Isa carefully touched the handle, letting her energy greet the newborn weapon, gently waking the sapient spirit before picking it up so she could inspect it.  
It was small for a scythe, adapted for Emelie's short stature, but the double edge of the curved blade was no doubt every bit as deadly, and the butt of the handle had a chain attached, and that chain ended with a heavy, metal, spike.

Turning to the pair who were slowly coming down from their peak she held out the weapon.  
“It's done. Your soul has created a magnificent weapon.”  
“That is indeed one wicked looking scythe, it reminds me a bit of a _Kusarigama_ though with that chain.”

It looked very much like the chain-sickle that still had a place in Japanese martial arts, it's origins were debated, but most agreed that it had probably been created by farmers who simply attached a chain and wight to their _Kama_ , sickles used for harvesting.  
Adding the weighted chain made them quite useful as it allowed the wielder to spin the chain over their head and use it to trap or disarm their opponent, allowing them to get close enough to use the relatively small weapon, even against opponents armed with spears or swords.

Takeshi gave the weapon a closer inspection before reaching out to see if it would allow him him to touch it and while there was a slight push against his aura the weapon didn't reject him so he gently brushing his hand along the the curved blade, then down the handle.  
Satisfied with the inspection he pressed the pad of his finger against the tip of the blade, allowing it to choose if it wanted to taste his blood or not, and after a moment a shiver went through the weapon, making the bade bite into his skin just enough for it to take a drop of his blood.  
Turning to Emelie he gave her a gentle nudge to move closer, to accept her weapon.  
“She is small, but deadly, just like you.”  
“She?”  
“Mhm, your weapon is sapient, and definitely female. Now go on, claim her, bond with her.”

Takeshi watched as Emelie reached out toward the weapon in Isa's hands while her aura was crackling with nervous energy, but the moment her hand touched the handle her aura settled down and became calm.  
Takeshi could feel the shift in her energies the moment she bonded with her weapon and when she did the blade of the scythe seemed to shimmer and distort, and moments later she held a bladed spear instead.  
“Impressive. It would seem your true weapon retains at least some of the flexibility of the exchangeable blades on your training weapon.”  
Isa was clearly both surprised and impressed by the weapon's ability to change.  
“What? You didn't make it to be able to?”  
“Em, didn't I explain that I'm not the one giving the weapon its form, you are? As a soulsmith I merely facilitate the bonding between your soul and the molten alloy. It's form and abilities are drawn from your soul, and the properties of the alloy used.”  
“Oh... I see... I think there's more though...”

Over the following hours Emelie managed to change her weapon into all the forms that her training weapon had, and showed that she was able to add and remove the weighted chain at will.  
“I can't seem to hear her though. I can feel that she's there though, and she accepts me.”  
Emelie was slightly concerned about being unable to communicate with her weapon.  
“Don't worry, it usually takes years to learn to fully communicate. The fact that she transforms for you shows that your bond is true and strong.”  
“But Take...”  
“Don't compare yourself with him. The Ryuken has been with him for decades, she has been longing to become his soul blade for most of that time, and she is an old blade, yours is a newborn one, she needs time to find herself.”  
Isa huffed at Emelie when she tried to point out that Takeshi had been able to hear the Ryuken right away.  
“Don't worry, I will work with you and help you as much as I can before you leave.”  
“Thanks...”

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Banished Templar_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Bye bye fairies!”  
The twins were waving at the spirits of the hidden valley and the tiny creatures darted over one by one, saying their goodbyes to the twins while Takeshi and Emelie patiently waited for them to be done.  
They had already said their farewells to Isa and the Avatar as well as those of the spirits they had gotten closer to during their stay.

Once they were done Emelie helped the twins onto Takeshi's back and secured them in the modified saddle before handing them the snakes.  
“Okay girls, hold on to your sisters.”  
“We will!”  
Isa had told them about an easier way exit the valley and get back to where they left the semi so they headed out the opposite direction from where they had arrived, and as promised there was a hidden path that led them down the mountain and back around to the area where they started.

It was midday when they arrived back at the campsite so they decided they would eat, then head out.  
“How about you girls go help Em prepare lunch and I will make sure to get these, not so little, ladies into their enclosure?”  
Takeshi held his hands out and Sarah and Maria quickly handed him the snakes before hurrying over to the kitchen area to help Emelie.

He sighed slightly as he placed them into their terrarium, while they were growing slowly for snakes they had still become quite large, large enough for them to start to be hard for the twins to carry.  
Fortunately they had developed mentally to the point of being fully aware, so there was no risk that they would hurt the girls when they carried them wrapped around their bodies.  
_“Are you ladies hungry?”_  
He reached out for their minds to see if he should bring them food as well.  
_“The spirits fed us well, we are sated.”  
“That's good.”  
_

Reaching into the terrarium he checked the temperature of the basking spot before brushing his hand over one of the scaled heads which was peaking over his shoulder, an action that rewarded him with a flicking tongue tasting him before the second head appeared and bumped his hand.  
He gently ran his hand down the hard but silky scales, using his energy to make sure the two snakes were in good health.  
The action rewarded him with a feeling of amusement from the snakes, as blessed creatures there were highly resilient, and while cold blooded they could handle much higher variance in temperature.  
“Wouldn't want you girls to get a tummy ache because you got chilled while digesting your food.”  
Satisfied that the temperature in the enclosure was warm enough to optimize their digestion he placed them in the crystal tank and gave the shiny, black, heads a kiss before closing it up for their safety.  
It was a bit of an odd feeling at times, but he had quickly grown to care for the snakes like daughters, as far as he was concerned the only real difference between them and their human sisters was that the snakes were less fragile.  
As Blessed they had an fair resilience, and they didn't have massive emotional trauma to work through, and though their awareness and personalities were simpler he had a feeling that might change with time.

When he turned around he was met by the sight of Emelie leaning against the wall with a soft smile.  
“You really do make an excellent father, even if you are a total mother hen.”  
She sauntered up to him with a teasing smile and wrapped herself around him before tugging on his head to make him lean in so she could kiss him.  
“It's one of the reasons I love you so much.”  
Takeshi didn't answer her, instead he deepened the kiss, pouring his own feelings into it, trusting her to understand.  
“Of course I know silly.”  
She teased into the kiss which made him tighten his hold on her.  
_“If you keep kissing me like this I might just start crying.”_  
The silent words made Takeshi pull back and look at her, and she was indeed slightly teary eyed, but the soft smile was still on her face.  
He leaned in and kissed away the tear at the corner of her eye before wrapping his arms around her again and pulling her against him tightly.

“The table is set!”  
Sarah's call broke the emotional moment and with one last check of the snakes' enclosure Takeshi followed Emelie to the kitchen area and helped her serve the lunch.  
“Where will we go next?”  
The twins' eager curiosity was contagious and Takeshi began telling them about the plans for the next few weeks.  
“We are heading to France, remember the sword I freed?”  
“Mhm, Glenys, she felt kind.”  
“Well I have been talking to her quite a bit and she tells me that there is someone in France who might be able to help us so we will go looking for him.”  
“Okay!”

Takeshi was retracting the outside deck when he felt the presence of the Avatar approach and underneath her powerful aura he could feel another fainter aura.  
Turning to greet their visitor he noticed that she was carrying an urn with a big cluster of flowering Lily of the Valley, and looking closer he could see the Sylph who had attacked him flitting about among the bell like flowers.

“Welcome to our little camp.”  
He greeted their visitors with a nod.  
“Thank you.”  
“So, what brings you here?”  
“Our little sylph friend here. As retribution for her unwarranted attack she wishes to leave with you and serve as guardian to those you wish to protect.”  
Takeshi turned directly to the Sylph who hid slightly behind one of the large leaves.  
“If you are to come with us you must learn not to fear me.”  
Remembering how he had shattered her winds with a pulse of his aura he flared it slightly, just enough to let her feel it without doing any harm and when he did he could feel tiny flares respond from the bell like flowers.  
Letting his power gently brush against the urn revealed that the sylph's daughters were hidden among the flowers.

“And your daughters, what will their fate be if I bring you with us?”  
Braving his aura she stepped forward and spoke up in a gentle but clear voice.  
“They may join me and serve or they may leave to find their own path, the choice is theirs.”  
Takeshi reached out his hand toward her, signaling for her to come to him and as she landed on his hand he brought her up to his face so that he could see her face clearly.  
“You will learn to master that fear and temper of yours, is that clear?”  
She nodded silently and he carefully closed his hand around her, mindful of her wings before gently brushing his thumb across her face.  
“You did well. I will bring you with us. Now go back to your little ones before they get scared.”  
He watched her return to the flowers before taking the urn from the Avatar and bidding her farewell.  
He was slightly surprised though when she quickly stepped closer and kissed him, a kiss he didn't hesitate to return.  
“Take care out there. There is still much darkness in your path, don't let it dim your light. Trust the brightness of those who are yours.”  
The pure silver of her eyes told him she was speaking as the Seer.  
“Thank you Seer, I will try to heed your advice.”

The twins were very happy when they spotted the urn with its precious passengers and they were hovering at Takeshi's sides while he used sanctuary crystal to create a clamp that would secure the planter to the small table in the cab.  
He could feel that the flowers were enchanted to protect the sylph and her daughters so he wasn't overly concerned, and only focused on making sure the urn wouldn't tip or get tossed in case something happened.  
“Go on girls, get strapped in.”  
“Okay!”  
Once the twins were secured in their seats Takeshi took the wheel and headed back the way they had arrived.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Banished Templar_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

They were heading west, into France, Glenys had told him of an ancient tomb that she had been used to seal, and in that tomb a banished Templar had been sealed.

She told Takeshi how the Templar had been banished for refusing to kill a nobleman's daughter for loving a demon, for refusing to allow her to be killed, and aiding the demon she loved in escaping the order.  
She told him that this Templar had once been the most powerful of all the Templars, with demon blood he had been a giant of a man, wielding a demonic brightmetal sword and riding a demonic war stallion he had been feared by many, but Glenys said he was much like Takeshi, a gentle soul, an honorable man but capable of great destruction when needed or when sufficiently provoked.  
The Templar order had gladly taken advantage of his power, using their connections they had made sure he was Knighted, made him a High Templar, given him free reigns to act as he pleased as long as it got demons killed and gold in their coffers and they paid him handsomely for the blood on his hands.  
He had been sent to the nobleman's house to deal with a powerful demon that was seducing the eldest daughter of the house, but when he came there and investigated he found that the pair truly did love each other, and refused to act against the demon.  
The young woman was sentenced to death for witchcraft and _consorting with the devil_ but the Templar had interfered and helped her demon lover to save her from the stake, hiding her away he then helped the demon to escape the order.  
For that he was sentenced to death for treason, but his demon blood made him hard to kill so they banished him and sealed him in a tomb hidden beneath one of their temples.  
Glenys believed he might still be there, still alive, and it was her opinion that if they were headed for the Obsidian Halls he could prove a valuable ally, because the demon he had refused kill, whose love he had helped save from a witch's death was a prince of the Obsidian Halls.

Their goal for now was Orléans where the temple was located, Glenys was unsure if anything remained of the temple, but the catacombs beneath were bespelled so they should still remain.

“This truck stop here at the edge of the city should be a good place to set up. Then we can take the car into town and look for more information.”  
There were currently parked at a stop outside of Troyes to get some food and plan the next leg of their trip.  
“Mhm, there's a tourist information here that advertises having good knowledge of local history.”  
“How about you girls, any objections?”  
“Nu huh.”  
“Then it's settled, let's go.”  
It was Emelie's turn to drive so while she made sure the girls were secured Takeshi rotated the seats, her seat was designed to compensate for her stature to make sure she could drive the large vehicle without having her field of vision impaired.  
His own seat was also customized for his height, so they had requested the cab to be designed with a system that allowed them to swap places between the driver and front passenger seats.

Once they arrived at Orléans they set up their trailers and headed into the city to a tourist information center that advertises that they specializes in the local historical sites.  
“Welcome, how can I help you?”  
A middle aged woman approached them when they entered the small corner store.  
Takeshi quickly returned the greeting and began asking about tours to the various historical religious sites such as churches and cloisters, showing extra interest in anything related to the Knights Templar.  
With Glenys whispering information Takeshi was able to feign having extensive knowledge about several of the sites as well as help him ask the correct questions which ultimately earned them a meeting with a local professor who had dedicated his entire life to studying the history of the Templars.

The next day the found themselves in a small office at the university and the old professor was delighted to find others interested in the more obscure, darker legends, most that searched him out had some romanticized notion of great heroes fighting the good fight, which in most cases was far from the truth, most were little more than mercenaries and roaming bandits, just with the approval of the church and the ruling class.  
They had been talking about local stories when the professor had asked why he was so curious about it and Takeshi had felt a searing pain from Glenys and as he did he could feel the ring manifest in his hand and she told him to show the Templar Signet to the professor, to claim it was a family heirloom.  
Knowing how hard it was for Glenys to once again let go of the ring that could subjugate her he was careful when he showed the ring and the moment he placed it on the table the professor had frozen, and Takeshi's enhanced hearing was barely able to pick up the whispered name _Glenys_.

“Was this ring accompanied by a sword, writing along the blade, an ornate hilt with a pommel in the shape of the Knights Templar cross?”  
He was quickly flipping through a book and showed a detailed drawing of the ring, and Glenys as she had looked before she changed.  
“I'm sorry, but there is no sword resembling that among the heirlooms.”  
The professor slumped and hesitantly handed back the ring before he began to tell the legend of Glenys, the blessed blade.  
At the end of his telling the story became familiar, he spoke of the same events that Glenys had told them of, but from a different angle, twisted to fit the Knights Templars.  
The professors version told of how a fallen Templar had betrayed them and sold them out to evil, sold his soul to the devil for immortality, and how Glenys had been used to seal the monster he had become away forever to save mankind.  
“Does the legends tell of where this tomb would be? I would love to search for such a place.”  
Takeshi carefully prodded, maybe they could get a hint about where to start looking.  
“Oh, I can take you there, it's still in perfect condition. Quite amazing after all these years.”  
Takeshi could barely believe his ears, it seemed the professor actually knew where to find what they were looking for and was willing to bring them there.  
They agreed that they would meet early in the morning on the upcoming Saturday and travel to the location.

Once they were back with the rig they looked around for a good spot outside the city where they could make camp and have their privacy.  
“How about this spot here?”  
Emelie pointed toward a small farm that advertised having a camping spot at the far end of their property.  
“It's on the opposite side of where we will be going though.”  
Takeshi actually agreed with her, but he wanted to see if she would defend her pick.  
“Yeah, but it's off the beaten path, nice and private.”  
There was a slight flare in her wings as she pointed out the positive aspects of the spot she had found.  
“Well then, go on, call them.”  
Takeshi leaned in and rewarded her with a kiss which earned him an annoyed hiss as she realized he had been teasing her.  
“Meanie...”  
“Aw, and here I thought you liked me.”  
His not so subtle fishing only earned him an exasperated huff before she walked of to get her phone, but the way the tip of her tail brushed against his face told him more than words ever could.  
He gently grabbed her tail before she could get too far away and gave the tip a soft kiss which made her snicker at him.  
“ _Älskar dig med knäppis.”_  
Her teasing quip, telling him she loved him too, while also calling him a weirdo made him smile.

“This place is really nice, a good find indeed sweetie.”  
Takeshi praised Emelie as he looked out over the clearing, they had a small irrigation lake backed by a forest at one side, and a beautiful grazing meadow that was home to a few horses, milk cows, sheep, geese and chickens.  
The farm on the far end of the fields was old, but well kept and focused on sustainability and organic farming which pleased Takeshi as it meant that the area was not contaminated with pesticides, herbicides or artificial fertilizers, the smell of the livestock was noticeable, but Takeshi actually enjoyed it, it was a natural, healthy scent.

“They gave me this so you can give some treats to the geese and chickens, the others you can offer grass from outside the fence.”  
Takeshi handed the twins a bag with poultry feed which earned him a chorus of happy cries.  
The animals in the field next to them had drawn the twins attention and they had begged Takeshi to ask the farmers if they were allowed to offer them treats so that they could get closer to them.  
“They also said that you can go inside the pasture as long as Em or I go with you and we are only allowed to use the kissing gate.”  
The news that they were allowed to go into the enclosure with the animals instantly had the twins about as happy as they could possibly get and begged to go right away, which Takeshi gave in to almost immediately.  
“Take, does happy animals taste better?”  
Maria's question made Takeshi pause for a moment, unsure how to answer.  
“You know what, I think they do.”  
After some consideration he decided that he agreed with her, a happy animal probably tasted better.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Banished Templar_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

It was finally Saturday and the sun was barely over the horizon when they arrived at the rendezvous point they had agreed on and about 5 minutes later the professor arrived and they agreed he would drive first and they would follow him as the roads where poorly marked.  
Following the professor's small car they soon found themselves at a small, hidden, ruin outside the city and parked their car on the gravel parking lot next to the decrepit building.  
The old professor brought them through a winding maze of tunnels and Takeshi could feel Glenys sing in recognition, humming with power within his soul.  
Stopping before a large ornate metal door that lacked any visible means for opening it the professor began to explain that according to the legends only the power of the blessed blade could open these doors and unleash the horror within.  
Reaching out Takeshi placed his hand against the metal door and smirked at the reaction of the professor when a barrier shimmered to life under his touch.  
“Ah! The seal! It responds to the Signet, amazing!”  
Takeshi didn't bother telling him he was wrong, this was not the seal created with Glenys, this was a demon barrier, meant to protect what was inside, probably placed there by the demon as a gesture of gratitude, trying to protect the one sealed inside when unable to free him.

“ _Are you sure about this, blade?”  
_Takeshi asked Glenys one last time.  
_“I am, I have touched that soul, I know that soul.”  
_There was certainty in her tone and Takeshi began to reach within.  
_“Please, do not use me to break the demon barrier, it was placed to protect and I do not wish to be the one to undo that.”  
_The Ryuken instantly sang out that she would gladly do what her new sister could not, would not.  
_“Then let's do this, shall we?”  
“Yes!”_  
They both sang strongly, begging to be drawn so that Glenys could release the seal she had been forced to create and with a swift move he obliged.

“Glenys! How?”  
There was pure shock in the voice of the professor as the blade materialized in Takeshi's hand, and somehow he recognized the blade despite her change, then he zeroed in on the Ryuken and hissed in alarm.  
“That one is demonic! Why do you have that? It's dangerous!”  
It would seem the professor was more than just well read.  
“I have them both because they both chose me.”  
A quick slash and the demon barrier fell and with it gone Takeshi could feel the life force resting inside, it was muted somehow but still strong.  
“No! What are you doing?”  
The professor became frantic but before Takeshi could even ask Emelie had stepped forward and turned her power on the old man, forcing him to stay back and not interfere.  
“You are a demon! You are here to free the fallen Templar! You must not!”  
As he tried to take another step toward the door Takeshi spoke up.  
“We are here to undo a great injustice. To free a great warrior who was locked away for refusing to kill the innocent.”  
Holding Glenys up against the door he could feel the seals react and he knew what had to be done to undo them.

“Em, move back a bit please and be prepared to take the girls out of here if anything happens.”  
Even if the one inside was not an enemy, he might be disoriented and lash out before making sure who it was that had undone the seals.  
“Glenys, take the seals down please.”  
Opening his soul to the blade he felt as she began to draw power from him and soon Glenys glowed a bright white for a moment then the seals shattered and the large door slid to the side, revealing an antechamber with another massive door at the back, far more ornate it was covered with intricate rune seals.  
_“Oh no!”  
_Suddenly Glenys cried out in sorrow and pain and his attention was drawn from the door to the low stone altar in the middle of the small room, on that altar was the reason for Glenys sorrow.  
Two bodies rested there, perfectly preserved, probably due to the demon barrier, the bodies were those of a young woman and an infant girl.  
“The witch and her demon spawn, even now her black magics remain.”  
The professor spoke in a subdued tone, held at bay by Emelie's powers.  
“She almost escaped, but the nun who acted as her midwife was vigilant, she saw the signs of a demon child and alerted the Templars and the witch was re-captured and sealed.”  
Takeshi could feel Glenys confusion at the information then a sense of realization.  
_“They must have used the Signet to gain temporary access to the antechamber, that's the only way they could have done this without me knowing.”  
_

When Takeshi walked up to the altar for a closer look he was unable to hold back a vicious snarl, the woman was chained to the stone, her chest tightly bound, they had left her and her babe to starve, the mother would have had to suffer the sight of her child starving to death before it finally claimed her as well.  
He heard Emelie gasp as she stepped closer, followed by hushed order for the girls to stay back and not look.  
He could smell her tears as she stepped up to his side and then he could feel her aura rise and touch the bodies on the altar and as she did she cried out in grief, the sound so primal it made Takeshi want to shred whatever had caused her such pain.

“The child! I can feel it. She is Kin! She was to be Lilim!”  
She cried out and it was obvious to Takeshi that it was her demon instincts that were ruling her at the moment, and as her aura stilled into grim resolve she added softly, voice broken with grief.  
“She was my cousin.”  
He wrapped his arms and aura around her and watched as she removed one of the small crystals from her charm bracelet and with a push of her youki she made it grow slightly and form a simple but beautiful teardrop, when it was completed she turned to him, unable to form the words her serpent relayed her question.  
_“Please, can you make a necklace fitting for it, I can't...”  
_He just nodded and pulled one of his fangs out and shaped it into a cage fitting before pulling a few strands of hair that was quickly braided into a chain and combined with the fitting.  
She took the empty necklace that he held out and stepped up to the altar, Takeshi was unsure what she was doing, but he trusted her demonic instincts.

“Come here child, I will bring you to your kin. If not your father then your grandfather or grandmother.”  
The seals and barriers on the tomb had kept the souls from leaving and somehow Emelie had been able to feel the soul of the infant, and now Takeshi could feel it too as it rose from the body and hovered hesitantly before Emelie.  
A few moments later the soul of the mother rose as well and the ghostly form gently ushered the small wisp of light toward the crystal that Emelie held before looking straight at her with a sad smile that held both gratitude and question.  
When Emelie nodded the soul of the mother joined that of the child within the teardrop, surrounding its glowing purple with her own pale pink and Emelie carefully placed it within the fitting before urging it to close with a gentle push of her youki and Takeshi quickly helped her place the necklace around her neck.  
“I have to...”  
She began to explain but Takeshi just pulled her closer.  
“Ssh, I know, I understand.”  
He knew Emelie would carry those souls with her until the day she could either reunite them with the father, or bring them to either of the grandparents.

Reaching into his soul Takeshi brought out a handful och the tiny sanctuary crystals he always carried and started placing them around the bodies on the altar.  
“What are you doing?”  
Emelie's voice was a mix of confusion and protective concern.  
“I'm making casket to protect the bodies, without the demon barrier they will decompose.”  
“Oh.. Of course... Please, let me help.”  
“Of course sweetie.”  
Takeshi gently coaxed her into opening her aura so he could blend their energies, their wills, and together they encased the bodies in crystal and bonded the crystal to the stone altar and floor so that they could not be moved.  
“There. I will place a new barrier when we leave, though, it won't be nearly as powerful as the one we broke.”

With their task done they turned their attention to the next door, this time sealed by Glenys power.  
“We better make sure he doesn't try anything.”  
Emelie nodded toward the professor who was reduced to incoherent babbling so Takeshi used _command_ to put him to sleep before turning to the second door and drawing Glenys once again.  
“Let's end this.”

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Banished Templar_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

When the seals shattered and the door opened a circular chamber was revealed, this one also held a stone altar in the middle but it was much larger and on top of it a knight in armor rested, his hands on the hilt of a sword that rested on top of his chest.  
The man truly was a giant, Takeshi estimated that he had to be around 210 maybe even 220 tall, and from the size of the armor he could tell his build must be massive, his helmet rested on the stone above his shoulder and he appeared to be sleeping but Takeshi couldn't hear any breaths or heartbeats, but he could feel he was alive, perhaps in a deep state of meditation or suspended animation.  
“Em, stay here with the girls please.”  
Emelie just nodded and stayed outside as Takeshi carefully approached the man, every sense on high alert in case he would lash out but as he came close a weary voice spoke up, cracked and harsh from disuse.

“So someone has finally found the courage to come to kill me?”  
Takeshi was slightly surprised that the man spoke English, an old form, but still English, and quite intelligible.  
“That is not what has brought me here.”  
Takeshi spoke slowly, hoping that the prisoner would understand.  
“Then what brings you here minion of the Knights Templar? Come to gloat? Test your mettle?”  
The contempt was thick in his voice and Takeshi began to realize that he was unable to move and couldn't see him, only feel his presence and that of Glenys, when he stepped closer, into the mans line of sight and brought up the small lantern he held he noted that the face looked old, the eyes had sunken deep into the skull and he seemed rather thin under the thick beard and wild hair.  
“No, I come at the request of the blessed blade Glenys, to help her undo what she was forced to, to free a good man who was wrongfully imprisoned.”  
“The Knights Templars would never allow that.”  
The knight snorted in disbelief.  
“You will find that much has changed during your time down here, the Knights Templars fell long ago, all that remains is ruins, artifacts and old legends.”

And the man laughed, it was a crazed laugh, relief, grief, anger, joy, all flowing together, but yet he remained unmoving.  
Looking closer Takeshi found that the armor was somehow fused to the stone, acting as an extra prison.  
“Em, sweetie, come here and help me get him out of this damned thing.”  
The moment she set foot inside the door the old knight's eyes flew in her direction, trying to see her, it would seem the tomb was shielded somehow.  
“Lilim? She is Lilim!”  
There was relief in the voice and he began speaking rapidly in a language that Takeshi didn't understand, but Emelie looked as if it somehow was familiar before shaking her head.  
_**“It is the ancient language of the Lilim, unfortunately I do not speak it.”  
**_The Beast spoke up within him.  
“Easy, there big guy. She may be Lilim, but she was raised by humans and have never known her kin, there has been no one to teach her their language.”  
Takeshi quickly explained.  
There was a pause before the knight spoke, in old English once again.  
“My condolences young one.”  
He obviously knew about the Lilim, and how they would normally care for and protect their offspring.  
“It's okay, we think my father is alive, just not able to be here.”  
Emelie soothed as she stepped up to stand at Takeshi's side and together they looked at the armor to figure out how to remove it.

“An Avatar told us that her father is in the service of the Lord of the Obsidian Halls, we were actually hoping you would be able to aid us in finding him.”  
Takeshi explained while they worked on removing the heavy armor.  
“And find the demon you aided so that we may bring him the souls of his love and child.”  
Emelie added, her words brought tears to the eyes of the man they were working to free.  
“So it was real then? I was praying it was just nightmares, that not even they could be so cruel. I failed him.”  
Taking a deep breath to steady himself he continued.  
“If you free me I will gladly join your quest to the Obsidian Halls, for my failure I must lay my life in his hands. And he is a son of the Obsidian Halls, so both our quests brings us there.”

“ _Åh fy fan...”_  
Emelie gasped in horror as they finally lifted away the top of the armor and the body within was revealed, the soft curse in Swedish telling those who didn't see just how bad it was.  
While demon blood had kept the man alive it had not protected him from the effects of starvation, he was nothing but skin and bones, appearing almost mummified.  
“Looking that bad, am I?”  
He was laughing at Emelie's reaction and she was confused.  
“All I need is a good meal, something with demon blood in it and I will be back to my old self.”  
“I'm afraid you might have to wait a while for that, we don't have an abundance of demons around anymore.”  
Takeshi spoke up and the knight's eyes instantly zeroed back on him in question and slight concern.  
“Don't worry big guy, we will make a stretcher and carry you out of here, then we will figure out a way to get you back to health.”  
The knight just nodded solemnly and watched in silence as they worked on removing the rest of the armor.

“How much blood would be required for you to recover?”  
Emelie suddenly asked and Takeshi instantly growled lightly in displeasure, he knew what she was thinking and he did not like it.  
“Em, it might not be safe.”  
He cautioned and at the same time the knight spoke up.  
“No, I could never ask that of you, of a Lilim!”  
“How much?”  
Emelie ignored both their objections and simply demanded an answer.  
“From one as yourself, not much, not enough to cause harm. But I could never ask you to do such a thing! Never could I ask a Lilim to bleed for me!”  
She put down the piece of armor she was holding and leaned in closer.  
“Good thing I am offering then so you don't need to ask. Take?”  
While it sounded like a question Takeshi knew better, she had made up her mind and she would not forgive him easily if he refused her.  
“She had made up her mind. Trust me, we are better of just doing as she asks. But first we free you from this thing.”

Once he was free from the armor they carefully moved him to a stone bench that ran along the wall of the chamber.  
“So how do we do this?”  
Emelie questioned while Takeshi checked quickly on the girls.  
“Under the altar there should be a chalice of crystal and gold.”  
She quickly found the chalice he spoke of and used some water from her canteen to clean it and when Takeshi returned she handed it to him so that he could use his power to purify it.  
“How much blood do you need?”  
“Fill it as deep as your nail is long, that will be sufficient.”  
“But more would make your recover faster, return more of your strength?”  
She asked but he refused to answer, which in itself told her that she was correct and that he was simply trying to take as little as he could from her.  
“Take, please.”  
She held out her hand above the chalice and Takeshi carefully sliced into her hand with his claw, taking care to cause as little pain as he could and he watched as she filled the chalice to the brim before nodding for him to heal the wound.  
“Why?”  
Was all the knight was able to say when she turned around and he could see the filled chalice.  
“It is my blood, it is mine to give, however much I wish to, or do you intend to deny me that right?”  
The knight sighed and closed his eyes.  
“No, such is your right.”  
Takeshi carefully helped him into a seated position while Emelie helped him drain the chalice and the effects were almost instant as his features began to fill out, no more than half an hour later he stood up and stretched in all his glory before taking the knee before Emelie.

“I swear on my honor, life and soul that I will do everything in my power to aid your quest to find the Obsidian Halls.”  
Once he was done speaking she accepted his oath with a simple touch of her wing against his shoulder.  
“You were raised by humans and yet you know much of our ways.”  
It was obvious he was referring to demon ways, and how she had responded to his vow.  
“Living with Takeshi I have learned a lot about oaths, especially about how to accept them.”  
She gave a crooked smile as Takeshi huffed and tossed a simple monk's robe to the rather naked man.  
“I'm curious, your English doesn't sound very old.”  
Emelie's question earned her a somewhat owl eyed look before the knight turned thoughtful.  
“It is one of the abilities that my demon blood gives me. It's a fairly common ability among higher demons to be able to understand and learn languages very rapidly. I already spoke English before, and hearing your conversations outside this tomb allowed me to learn more of how it is spoken now. And the more I hear you speak, the better my own ability to speak it will become.”  
“Oh, I see.”  
“My apologies Lilim, my words have brought you pain.”  
He reached out for her and brushed his hand against her cheek.  
“It's okay. It's just I barely know anything at all about demons, about who I am, what I am.”  
“You have freed me young Lilim, I will do what I can to teach you. I may not know all that much about the lilim specifically, but I do know quite a bit about demons in general.”  
“Thank you...”

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Banished Templar_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

Takeshi and the others were watching as the knight searched the room where he had been sealed.  
“Mr Knight. What is your name?”  
The twins' question reminded everyone that there hadn't been any introductions made.  
“The Templars named me Croix, it means cross.”  
“Bad name!”  
Both of them cried as one.  
“Mhm, you are right, it is a bad name.”  
“What was your name before that?”  
“I called myself Loras.”  
The choice of words made Takeshi curious, it obviously was not the giant's real name.  
“That's not a good name either. It feels sad and lonely.”  
The twins objected to that name as well though, and Takeshi filed his questions away for later.  
“We will just call you Knight until you get a good name.”  
The old knight just nodded with a smile, accepting their re-naming.  
“I trust you girls have good names?”  
“Mhm! I'm Sarah!”  
“I'm Maria!”  
“Those are indeed good names for brave little girls.”  
The knight turned toward Takeshi and Emelie with a questioning look.  
“I'm Emelie Eriksson, but you can call me Em.”  
“Takeshi Kiryu, but I usually just go by Take, it's easier.”  
“I guess I will be Knight for now as my other names gave these lovely little girls such a bad feeling.”  
“Thank you for your consideration, _Knight_ .”  
Takeshi's voice held appreciation, and a slightly teasing hint when he repeated the new name.  
“We will need to invent a good name for you later though, the way the world works now you need documents that prove who you are so we will need to make false papers for you.”  
“Much has changed indeed.”  
“I think more has changed than you can imagine. But we will try to help you adapt.”  
“At this rate I will owe more than I can ever repay.”  
“You underestimate how highly I value the happiness of my pack.”  
Takeshi's answer made Knight huff at him before turning around with a sigh, apparently he had been unable find what he was looking for.

“It would seem the cretins hid my armor and sword away somewhere. Do you believe you might aid me in finding them?”  
“The old professor might know.”  
Emelie suggested and Takeshi nodded his agreement before going to wake him up.  
“A record keeper, he could prove useful if you can make him talk.”  
Knight pointed to the ornate pin on the professor's jacket.  
“Oh, don't worry about that. Take is very good at making people talk.”  
Emelie was grinning with something akin to pride as they watched Takeshi shake the professor to wake him.  
The professor instantly began screaming about monsters, devils and demons.  
_“Silence! You will not speak unless asked to.”_  
The strong _command_ instantly silenced him and made Knight chuckle.  
“You wield strange powers, clearly not demonic, but does not seem human either. Just what are you?”  
Takeshi turned around to face him with a shrug.  
“Like I told the last person to ask me that, I'll get back to you on that when I find out myself.”  
His response brought the chuckle into a full laugh.  
“I believe I will find you likable enough despite your odd ways and strange name. You carry Glenys, may I speak to her?”  
For a moment the quick change of subject threw Takeshi off, but he figured that after being sealed in here for such a long time Knight might not be all too clear in the head, he may look fine after his meal, but would probably need a while to recover fully.

“ _Glenys, what do say? Are you okay with me drawing you and placing you in his hand?”  
“I am. I know this soul, he will not betray us.”_  
After a short internal conversation Takeshi brought out his blades and held Glenys out in front of him while keeping the Ryuken back, ready to strike.  
“I gave my oath to wield Glenys true and she has no desire to harm you, but trust me that my Ryuken has no such qualms should you in any way threaten her new sister. Never again will she be subjugated!”  
Knight merely nodded before speaking in hushed tones to the blade while Emelie and Takeshi tuned him out to allow him some privacy.

“Mr Knight seems nice.”  
Sarah's soft words brought their attention to the twins.  
“Oh, he does does he?”  
Takeshi challenged her teasingly, but his curiosity was serious, since both the twins were empaths, and strong ones, he trusted their opinion of people.  
“Mhm, he feels a lot like you...”  
Maria added with somewhat hesitant tone.  
“She's right you know.”  
Emelie's addition made Takeshi pause for a moment and glance at the man, male, who currently sat atop the stone altar that had been his prison, deeply involved in his conversation with Glenys.  
“Yeah, he's definitely an alpha.”  
Takeshi knew that wasn't really what they meant, but it was a matter he wanted to address with Emelie and it was as good a time as any to bring it up.  
“Won't that cause problems?”

Takeshi had explained a bit about how the presence of another alpha could affect them, it had been necessary when Eriko joined them.  
With Eriko being female and her species normally forming male dominant packs Takeshi wasn't too bothered by her presence, but it did affect Emelie and Kasumi.  
Emelie didn't show any pack characteristics, not yet at least, but both Eriko and the Beast claimed she was an alpha, only that her power wasn't awake yet.  
Kasumi was an alpha as well, and despite her traits being faint it did cause issues at times, especially with Emelie.  
Though, it was partially due to his oaths to Kasumi as well, as co-alpha Emelie instinctively felt that she should be the only one whose word was equal to or above his, and his oaths placing Kasumi above him, and thus effectively above both of them, messed with those instincts at times.  
Eriko had repeatedly remarked that she was surprised that so many alphas were able to live together without constant fighting.

“I don't think so. Nothing serious at least. He submitted to you without hesitation, and his oath soothes my instincts. I don't feel threatened by him. But there will no doubt be the occasional scuffle, just like there is between Eriko and me.”  
“That's not it...”  
The twins complained slightly.  
“Then what is it sweetie?”  
“He feels nice, warm.”  
“Safe...”  
“Like we can trust him.”  
“Yeah, I think you're right. I think we can trust him.”  
Takeshi gave their hair an affectionate ruffle, but before he could lean in for the usual kiss on the forehead they were interrupted by Knight returning to their side and holding out Glenys to Takeshi.  
He accepted the blade with a nod before returning her and his ryuken to their place within his soul.

“Take, could you ask the record keeper if he knows where my armor and sword was taken please?”  
“You can ask him yourself. Once I bind him to my will he will answer all your questions.”  
Turning to the old professor Takeshi wove his _commands_ , binding him in a geas that forced him to answer their questions to the best of his ability.  
Once done weaving the _commands_ Takeshi left the questions to Knight and told the twins to go play their games before he turned his attention to Emelie, though she seemed calm he could feel the disturbances in her aura.  
“Come here sweetie.”  
As always she quickly ducked under his chin and he wrapped his arms around her.  
“Talk to me sweetie.”  
Instead of answering him she snuggled deeper into his chest.  
_“Please...”_  
There was a hint of suggestion in his voice that made her huff at him before speaking up.  
“I'll be okay. It's just a lot to take in. I finally find a relative only for her to have been dead for centuries.”  
He tightened his grip on her as she cried silently, and after a few minutes he felt her start to nibble at his neck, seeking comfort and distraction.  
As usual trying to soothe and calm her turned into other activities, the presence of others all but forgotten and when they both calmed Takeshi noticed that Knight sat there watching them and the gleam in his eyes made Takeshi voice a displeased growl.  
The warning growl was instantly rewarded with a pointed smile and a placating gesture combined with his aura pulling back slightly and settling into a more submissive pattern.

“Sorry to disturb, but some of his answers are not making much sense to me, I have missed so much that the names of most of the places he speaks of are completely unfamiliar to me.”  
The smile told Takeshi he wasn't really sorry for disturbing, more like he was sorry the _show_ had ended.  
“You could have said something instead of just watching.”  
Emelie scolded, but her voice lacked the edge that would have told them she was serious, and Knight just shrugged with a smile.  
“I know better than to interrupt a succubus while she is feeding, even those little ones seem to know that.”  
He pointed at the twins who sent them glances between rounds in whatever game they were playing.  
“Oh, those two just don't want Take to growl at them for not respecting our privacy.”  
“I see.”  
The tone made it quite clear that they could expect to catch him watching again unless they actually told him off seriously.  
While Takeshi and Emelie straightened their clothes Knight proceeded to ask Takeshi about several places that he did not know, many of them were places where the missing items were supposed to have been kept, but it seemed they were now held at the Louvre.  
“Looks like we are going to Paris.”  
The twins cheered and Takeshi sighed at Emelie's smile, it was the dreaded _shopping time_ smile.

“Is there anything here you want to bring with you?”  
After telling the girls to pack up their things Takeshi turned back to Knight and looked around the room that had been his prison.  
“Yes, most of these items. I was a wanderer, I didn't own much. What little I did own is here, save for my gold and silver, and my armor and sword. I suppose they were afraid I might be able to break out if I could reach them.”  
“Were they right?”  
Takeshi was curious about what kind of powers the giant male might possess.  
“No, I don't have the power to break through a barrier created by Glenys.”  
“You do have power though?”  
“Some. My mixed blood makes me age like a demon, and able to heal like one. I am far stronger than any human, and I can wield some basic magics. But most of my strength is simply training and experience.”  
“I see.”  
Takeshi was not done with that line of questions, but he would drop the topic for now and the slight nod he got in response told him that Knight was well aware.

“These coffers are in pretty bad shape. Do you have anything I can move my items to?”  
The wooden coffers used to store Knight's belongings had not weathered time as well as the demon crafted items they contained.  
“Of course, I'll go grab the boxes from the car.”  
Emelie had left the room before Takeshi had time to point out they couldn't fit Knight in their car and would have to go get the truck anyway, but he just shrugged, there was no hurry to deal with such matters.  
Chances were it would take some time for the old warrior to get used to all the new and strange things anyway so Takeshi was fully prepared to just put his stuff in the truck and walk with Knight back to the camp.

“What a strange material...”  
Knight ran his hand over the smooth surface of the carbon fiber composite box before giving it a careful tap and scratching at the surface.  
“A lot has changed since you were sealed in here. Science has advanced greatly. But don't worry, we will teach you as much as we can, and if there are things we don't know the answer to we will do what we can to help you find out.”  
“Thank you.”  
Knight paused for a moment and looked at his reflection in the high gloss surface.  
“I need a shave...”  
Rummaging around in the coffers he found a large knife, but when he tried to use it to get rid of the wild grown beard there was a noticeable shake to his hand which made him grumble something that sounded a lot like curses in a frustrated tone.

“If you are okay with me being close to your throat with a blade I could assist you.”  
Takeshi offered and after a moment Knight nodded.  
Reaching into his shift Takeshi brought out the straight razor shaving kit he always carried, he didn't need to shave himself as he lacked the typical male androgenic hair, but Daisuke had insisted he always carry the proper tools for grooming.  
The relaxed way Knight bared his throat to Takeshi so that he could trim away the excess beard before starting to shave further soothed Takeshi's instincts and Knight obviously noticed as he chuckled softly.  
“Worry not young alpha, as great as your little pack is, I have no desire, nor intentions, of stealing it from you.”  
“But you will no doubt challenge me from time to time on smaller matters...”  
“We are both alphas, there will no doubt be arguments and fights, but I will do my best to curb my instincts.”  
Taking some water from his canteen Takeshi carefully washed Knight's face before working up a lather and carefully shaving him, mindful to watch for any signs of discomfort at having someone put a blade at his throat.  
When he was done he washed away the last remnants of the soap and patted the skin dry.  
Just as he was about to tell Knight he was done the male gave him a slightly teasing glance before tilting his head back fully, offering Takeshi to assert his dominance.  
Accepting the offer Takeshi leaned in and gave the exposed throat a gentle nip, and while Knight's aura didn't submit, the gesture still helped to further soothe ruffled instincts.

 


	4. Next Stop - Paris

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Next Stop – Paris_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


“Put as much of your items as you can into those boxes that Em brought.”  
“And if I need more room?”  
“Then we will figure something out.”  
Takeshi was slightly surprised at how young Knight looked without the scruffy beard and he found himself watching him as he moved around the small room collecting his belongings.  
It didn't take long for Knight to fill the cargo boxes and walk up to Takeshi with an armful of items that didn't fit.  
“Hold on on, I'll get you something to put that in.”  
Focusing for a moment Takeshi reached within the shift and brought out a simple duffle-bag.  
“Here, use this.”  
“The way you use your abilities is quite interesting.”  
Knight turned the heavy cloth bag over in his hands before fiddling with the zipper.  
“Take that small flap and pull it down along the opening.”  
Takeshi gave Knight a quick explanation of how to open the zipper, dodging the unspoken question about his powers.  


“That is everything, I am as ready as I can be to get out of here.”  
“Good, let's go then.”  
When they stepped into the outer chamber Knight stopped at the crystal encased altar.  
“You did this?”  
“Yeah, I took down the demon barrier that protected them from the ravages of time, and I don't know how to replace it, so I used what I have to to protect them. I will place a barrier as well when we leave.”  
Knight didn't say anything more, instead he just put his hand on Takeshi's shoulder and Takeshi could feel the gratitude in the touch.  
Stepping out of the chamber Takeshi and Knight moved the door back into place before Takeshi brought out the Ryuken and used it to channel his power into a barrier.  


Once they exited the underground passages it was late night and Knight looked around rather confused.  
“It seems your horses got away from you while you were down there. But don't worry my steed will gladly carry a Lilim and her adopted daughters.”  
Before anyone had time to tell him at they didn't need horses to travel any longer he let out a sharp whistle, it's haunting tone made it obvious that there was magic in it, and moments later the neigh of a horse could be heard and a thick mist rolled in from nowhere, setting Takeshi's senses on high alert and without even thinking he had drawn his Ryuken.  
More neighs and snorts could be heard along with the clattering of hooves as the silhouette of a horse become visible in the mist, and as it stepped out it became obvious not only that it was as huge as its rider, but there was no doubt it was a demon.  
“Stand down please, this demon is a trusted ally of mine. He will not bring harm to those under your protection, you have my word.”  
Takeshi returned the Ryuken to its place, but he was still tense, not sure what to make of the new creature.  
_**“Those demon steeds are completely loyal to their chosen rider, if you trust the rider's words to be true, then it is no threat.”  
**_It was the Beast's words that finally made Takeshi relax, something that the twins noticed and moments later they ran over to Knight, asking if they could pet his _super cool horse_ which he nodded his consent to.  


Walking up to them Takeshi took a closer look at the creature.  
At a quick glance it could appear to be a very large, black, Friesian stallion but a closer look would quickly dispel that notion.  
There were several horns jutting out of its mane, one pair curving forward along the sides of its head and three horns curving backward, the middle one larger and longer than the others.  
A look at the muzzle made it obvious that this was a predator, filled with sharp teeth and sporting a set of large fangs.  
There were hints of fire coming from its nostrils and mouth as well as a faint flicker in its tail, mane and feathering, Takeshi had no doubt it would be more pronounced if it called on its demonic abilities.  
Hidden within the hairs of the tail he noticed the sharp tip of a somewhat reptilian looking tail and the wind brought a dangerous scent from it, probably some kind of toxin.  


He watched as Knight placed his hand on its withers and whispered something to it and a moment later a wave of power rolled over its body and in its wake a rather ornate looking saddle and bridle materialized, followed by barding and caparison.  
It occurred to him that neither the type of horse nor the design of the tack would be typical for the time period when the Knights Templars were active.  
“Can we go for a ride?”  
The appearance of a saddle instantly had the twins asking if they could ride it, and after Takeshi gave slight nod they turned puppy-dog mode on Knight who quickly helped them into the saddle and led them around for a while before letting them have the reins, but Takeshi heard the whispered orders to the creature not to take any risks with its precious cargo.  


“They have courage, your little ones.”  
Knight walked up beside him to watch the twins as they rode circles around the gravel covered lot.  
“They do, but even more they have trust, they trust me to keep them safe no matter what.”  
Knight simply nodded and watched the twins in silence.  
Takeshi watched as Knight went to help them down again and once they were down the tack vanished in another wash of power.  
When Takeshi stepped closer Knight quickly cautioned him against getting too close, explaining that while the steed was fine with females and children coming close, it didn't like other males, but Takeshi ignored him and walked right up to it.  
He could feel the Beast asking to rise and he allowed it.  
“No, it's fine, it knows, it understands. As long as it's no threat to what is ours we are no threat to it. Aid us in guarding what is ours and we would call it ally, maybe even friend.”  
Takeshi placed a clawed hand on its muzzle and a few moments later its head came down and gave him a gentle nudge but Takeshi could feel the slight shift in its aura alerting him that it was up to something.  
A moment later it gave him a hard shove, trying to knock him on his ass but he was prepared for it and didn't budge, causing the demonic steed to pull its head back with a disappointed snort.  
“Well I'll be damned, he actually likes you.”  
Knight laughed before turning serious.  


“Your speech, it changed. That duality, you are possessed, correct?”  
“More like stuck with an annoying backseat driver.”  
Takeshi huffed and a moment later realized that Knight wouldn't understand his choice of words.  
“In a sense, it's there but it rarely tries to take control anymore, it accepts me as the one in charge. It usually only acts up if our pack is in danger, and at those times I usually let it unless a cool head is needed. It does however give its opinions on matters where it is not needed nor wanted.”  
Knight nodded his understanding before asking more about the matter.  
“Would you be willing to let it surface so I may meet it? It is always good to have met those you might end up fighting alongside, especially when we are creatures of instinct and power.”  
Takeshi just nodded and stepped back within his mind as the Beast come to the forefront, manifesting its smoky shadows through his aura.  
“A shadow? How interesting. I have never heard of your kind possessing someone before.”  
**“It is not by choice. Power and circumstance created me within this body, I have no form of my own, only power, knowledge and instinct.”  
**“This one is a collector of the strange, is he not?”  
Knight snorted as he reached out to test the aura of the Beast.  
**“Indeed he is.”  
**The Beast replied in kind, as it reached out and explored Knight's aura for a while before retreating.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Next Stop – Paris_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


“Take, how will go about getting back to the camp? There's no way Knight will fit in our car, it's a tight fit even for you, and that heap of junk the professor drives is even smaller.”  
Emelie spoke up once she could feel that Takeshi was in control again.  
The professor drove an old 2-seat smart-car, one of the earliest models to abandon the combustion engine and it was a tiny thing, Takeshi doubted _he_ would be able to fit in it, much less Knight.  
“Indeed, not to mention it might be a bit much to deal with before getting used to how things works now.”  
After quickly ushering the twins to Emelie he turned to Knight.  
“The girls will be taking our car, what we use for transportation instead of horses now, and the professor will be taking his own, under my _command_. However both of these are too small to seat you so I will show you the way while you ride.”  
There was an agreeing chuckle when Takeshi pointed to the cars and Knight's opinion about the professors car was that he could probably carry that thing on his back.  
“I could follow behind those things, and you travel with them as you would normally?”  
Knight's counter suggestion held merit, but it could cause trouble.  
“While I don't doubt that your steed can keep up with them it would be better if you are not seen by others, demons are all but forgotten and it would cause quite a stir if anyone saw you, or worse got footage of you.”  
At Knight's confused look Takeshi just told him he would explain later.  
“So we are in for a slow travel then, he might like you but he won't tolerate you on his back so you will have to walk.”  
“Oh, don't worry about that, I can move pretty fast when I need to.”  
To show his point Takeshi simply abandoned his human form and took his favored wolf form.  


“A werewolf, odd, you don't feel like one.”  
“That's because he isn't one, not really. He is something else.”  
Emelie was the one to speak up, not sure if Knight would be able to hear Takeshi's telepathic communication.  
“It is fine Lilim, I can hear him.”  
Knight suddenly went silent and looked closely at Emelie.  
“This saddens you for some reason, why?”  
Emelie just shook her head and headed to the car, it was not something she wanted to talk about.  
_“Because she is unable to hear me without the assistance of a familiar that was specifically made to act as a relay between her and the other Blessed. From all we have learned about demon abilities, especially succubus and Lilim she should be able to, but for some reason she seems to be missing a lot of abilities she should have. Or we simply don't know how to teach them to her.”  
_Knight suddenly cursed in a low voice, berating himself for not realizing sooner.  
“She is Lilim, but she has never met any of her kin, other than the soul of the infant, correct?”  
_“Yes.”  
_“A Lilim will not gain access to their full abilities until formally accepted, by Lilith. Normally the Lilim parent would have brought her before Lilith a few days after her awakening.”  
_“Well, that explains a lot.”  
_Takeshi nodded, the motion somewhat awkward in the form of a wolf so halfway through it he returned to his human form.  
“If we find her father alive in the Obsidian Halls I am sure he will take her to present her, and if he is not to be found there, the one I seek would be honored to step in and present such a lovely young Lilim to his mother. If neither of them can be found I am sure the lord of the halls would be willing to aid without asking too steep a price.”  
Knight's voice was intentionally low, keeping Emelie from hearing his words as she was helping the twins get seated, her reaction had made it clear that it was a sensitive, and painful, matter.  
“Even more reason for us to make sure we get there then.”  
Takeshi nodded in gratitude as Knight was obviously trying to spare Emelie the old pains.  


Turning to the professor Takeshi ordered him to get in his car and drive to the location where they had had set up campbefore waving goodbye to the twins.  
“Interesting method of travel. I hope there are larger versions.”  
The comment came after Emelie tore out of the small gravel road and onto the blacktop where she instantly floored it for a bit before settling back down to a legal speed.  
“There are, though they tend to be built for comfort or power, not speed like that one.”  
“And that little thing the record-keeper uses?”  
“Is built to be cheap, to move a person from one place to another with minimal cost.”  
The quip made Knight laugh, despite not fully understanding the details.  


Shifting halfway to his wolf-form Takeshi called out with a teasing challenge in his tone.  
“How about we try to reach our goal before the girls? They have to keep to the roads...” _  
_ There was an immediate wash of power and the tack reappeared and a moment later Knight was seated and looked at him expectantly and Takeshi took a quick look at his GPS before shifting fully and heading off.  
Though starting at a lazy pace he quickly picked it up as he could sense the demonic steeds eagerness to stretch out and he found that it kept pace with him without to much effort, he was sure it could put out a bit more speed, but so could he, but such a pace would be a waste of energy.  
“You move well for someone in a borrowed form, no needless movement. Gaining ground without wasting energy.”  
Takeshi growled lightly at being so openly assessed which just made Knight laugh and spur his steed to move faster, testing their top speed.  


“Take, look, a deer. Could we hunt?”  
Knight held in the reins of his steed when he spotted a red deer at the edge of a field.  
_“It's not exactly legal, but I guess fresh meat would do you good.”_  
Takeshi swung around and carefully stalked toward the large deer, putting the animal between himself and Knight.  
_“Could you give it a bit of a scare to make it run toward me?”  
“Of course.”_  
Takeshi watched as Knight turned his steed and made a quick dash toward the deer which made it turn and flee straight into Takeshi's waiting maw.  
The struggle ended quickly, and Takeshi modified his shift to bring out the travois to make moving their prey easier and Knight immediately got out of the saddle and dragged the deer onto the travois and secured it.  
With their prey secured they continued on their way and soon they arrived at camp, and Takeshi noted that Emelie hadn't arrived yet.  
As he crossed the simple barrier generated by the Sanctuary crystal inside the trailer he noticed that Knight paused for a moment before nudging his steed forward.  
“Interesting barrier.”  
“It's not really made to keep people out, it's merely made to discourage those with ill intent.”  
Takeshi had already shifted back and was pulling the travois aside to take care of the deer.  
“Your steed, will he eat the entrails and such parts?”  
“He will, but he has spotted prey of his own if he is permitted to hunt?”  
“Just don't take any of the livestock in the enclosures.”  
“Of course not, he spotted a group of small deer on the way here.”  
“Go ahead then, but please, try not to leave a bloody mess, people scare easily and predators tend to be persecuted simply for being predators.”  


When Emelie pulled up to their camp Takeshi and Knight were already waiting for them, and she could see some sort of a large animal roasting over the fire pit, from the size of it she guessed it had to be a red deer and of to the side the demonic horse was making short work of what looked to be a roe deer, not only had they arrived first, they had taken the time to hunt.  
“I see you boys wasted no time getting back home.”  
She teased lightly while helping the twins out of the car.  
“Food!”  
Knight looked rather wide eyed when the twins made a beeline for Takeshi's plate and began to pick out choice pieces, Emelie guessed it was because the contents were raw.  


Takeshi always did the same thing when he had hunted for food, or purchased a whole animal for food.  
When butchering it he would put aside pieces like liver, heart, kidneys and tongue as well as brain.  
He would also set aside the long bones from the legs and after cutting away the meat he would crack them open to obtain the marrow, all these things would then be cut into sashimi that he would eat while the rest of the meat cooked.  
Some of these parts would normally not be considered safe for consumption due to risk of disease or parasites, but his altered physiology gave him an immunity to those, and his senses allowed him to know if the pieces were safe for the girls to eat and since he did nothing to stop them these pieces were obviously safe for them.  


“These girls of yours will grow up into proper lady warriors, not fainting little damsels.”  
Knight remarked with a chuckle as he watched them clean out what remained on Takeshi's plate.  
Emelie couldn't help a chuckle of her own as she looked at Knight's tray of food, he had piled it high with cheese, various cold cuts, a few loaves of the sourdough rye bread she favored and a large stick of butter.  
He was making quick work of the slices of bread, topping them of with thick slices of butter or cheese, or piles of slices when it came to the pre-cut lunch meats, and washing it all down with large amounts of milk from a pitcher, which when he refilled it was revealed to hold a mix of about 4 parts milk and 1 part heavy cream.  
All while occasionally poking at the roasting meat to see if it was ready to eat.  


“Our food expenses just went through the roof, didn't they?”  
She remarked with a sigh when Knight headed into the trailer to refill the pitcher for the second time, that she had seen.  
“Give the man a break, it's his first proper meal in about, well, a millennium give or take.”  
Emelie huffed at the cheeky response and muttered that he had better carry his weight by hunting and fishing or Takeshi would have to pick up the slack which earned her some mock complaints about being unreasonable.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Next Stop – Paris_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


When the professor finally arrived Takeshi reinforced his weave of _command_ and questioned him about the location of Knight's missing items before instructing him to gather whatever materials he might need and make arrangements to help them get into the Louvre,.  
Takeshi also ordered the professor to make sure he would not be missed for a few days as well as binding a strong geas to not let anyone know or suspect what was happening.  
Once he had left to do as he had been told the group focused on their meal and on sharing stories of how they ended up where they were.  


“So, Knight, care to share a bit about your origins? How a does a mixed blood end up a mercenary for the Templars?”  
“Of course not, you have all been very generous with your own stories.”  
Takeshi raised an eyebrow in curiosity when Knight shifted around among the pillows before settling down on his back, while using Takeshi's thigh as a pillow.  
It had quickly become obvious that Knight had a lot in common with Takeshi, including being a very tactile person and he didn't care that is was another male he was using as a pillow.  


“I was born in a mixed town in the mountain borderlands.”  
“Borderlands?”  
Sarah piped up,her curiosity getting the better of her.  
“It is an area where the realms blend together, a place where both humans and demons can thrive.”  
“Oh. Was it a nice place?”  
“It was a very nice place. It was a place where humans and demons lived together peacefully, a place for trading, and diplomacy. The demon traders brought the most amazing foods and trinkets to our markets.”  
The twins were hanging on his every word as he described his home city, making it sound like the 8th wonder of the world, though, Takeshi and Emelie were listening intently as well.  


“My mother was a courtesan, as was her mother and her mother before that.”  
“What's a courtesan?”  
Maria's question made Knight give Takeshi and Emelie a hesitant glance, unsure how much they wanted him to tell the girls, and in what kind of words.”  
“A courtesan is someone who spends time with, and offer comfort and pleasure to men, or women, for payment.”  
Emelie gave them a honest, but diplomatic, explanation, neither she, not Takeshi, saw any reason to hide the truth from the girls.  
“Were you a courtesan too?”  
Sarah's follow up question had Emelie struggling not to laugh and Takeshi and Knight both chuckled softly at the innocent question, though, Takeshi was curious what the reply would be.  
“I leaned my mother craft well, and I have done the work from time to time to earn my keep.”  
The bit of information had Emelie looking at him in surprise before nodding softly in acceptance, Takeshi on the other hand gave Knight a teasing wink which made the old warrior reach back put his hand and Takeshi's thigh.  
The teasing touch was quite clearly Knight's way of telling them he hadn't just serviced females, but males as well.  
He explained that the women of his line were high end courtesans, with nobles and a highborn as their clients, both human and demon alike, and that sometimes those demons would beget offspring, his mixed blood further elevating their status.  
“But like most males of my line I mostly worked as a guard and hunter, helping protect the city, traveling with traders to protect them from thieves, helping shopkeepers hunt meat for their shops, and help protect the farms from beasts that would harm their crops or livestock.”  


He kept telling all kinds of little stories of things he had done until it was time for the twins to sleep, and once they were in bed he moved on to the darker parts of his story.  
“I don't know exactly when it began, or what started it, but the human lords became increasingly envious of our riches, our prosperous trade, and wanted to get in on the trade without going through us.”  
The human lords didn't understand that the demons traded with the mountain city because of its location within the borderlands, they simply were not able to safely trade in the human realm.  
“I was in the human realm escorting a caravan when diplomacy failed and the human lords attacked the city with siege engines. The demons within the city tried to aid its defense, but they were overwhelmed.”  
Knight explained that his mother had sent a messenger to find him, to tell him the fate of the city after the fact.  
“When the messenger found me she told me that the city had fallen.”  
There was a noticeable tremor in Knight's voice which made Takeshi move slightly and put his hand on his shoulder, silently offering support, and comfort, and he noticed that Emelie's tail came up and wrapped around Knight's hand.  
The giant took an unsteady breath before giving them a slight nod and continuing.  
“She told me that in a last effort to try to save the city the demons collapsed the borderlands, pulling the entire city and everything within into the demon realm and sealing the pathways, forever cutting it off from the human realm.”  


“When I returned nearly a year had passed and there was nothing but mountains, no paths into the demon realm remained. I was cut off.”  
There was another heavy breath, and with it a flicker of shame in his aura.  
“With nothing else to do I became a wanderer, a sword for hire, trying to find my way back to the city that birthed me. But I found that the city had not only cut themselves off from the human realm, in collapsing the borderland they had cut themselves of from the demon realm as well, only a handful of true Realm Walkers were able to reach it.”  
A soft sniffle from Emelie made Knight pause and apologize but Emelie just shook her head and asked him to continue as she moved next to him and curled into Takeshi's side.  
“I was able to hire a realm walker, and they brought a message from my mother telling me that they were safe, and happy to live out their lives in the pocket realm that had been created. Knowing they were safe I headed out into the world, determined to make amends for my failure to protect my home.”  
“But that wasn't your fault!”  
Emelie was clearly upset that Knight blamed himself for not being there.  
“I know, but I was young, and I blamed myself for not being there. I changed my name to Loras, exile, and I became a wanderer, offering my strength where I felt it was needed.”  


He told them of how he came across the demon horse when it was no more than a colt, not yet weaned and near death, it's mother had been killed by another predatory demon but the colt had managed to escape as the predator was more interested in its meal than catching it.  
At a whim he had taken the creature in and raised it, when it became old enough to seek a rider it had chosen to stay with him, to become his steed.  
“I got involved with the Templars when I was hunting a group of demons who preyed on humans. I'm not proud of it, but I wanted to belong to something. Something greater than myself, and despite knowing that their beliefs were false I joined them, helped them hunt dangerous beasts and demons.”  
He explained how it had all started out okay, only going after the worst, the most dangerous monsters who had committed heinous acts, but gradually their goals slid, and they began hunting the innocent on even the slightest accusation, acting without proof of wrongdoing.  
And in the end it had become too much, too obvious that the path had been lost so he rebelled, and got sealed for it.  


At the end of his tale Knight sounded so utterly broken that it made Takeshi's soul ache, he recognized the feeling of having failed when there really wasn't anything you could have done.  
With a quick glance at Emelie his mind was made up, and together they laid down on each side of the grieving male, offering companionship and support.  
Takeshi didn't sleep though, instead he thought about what Knight had told them, based on the various stories and historical events mentioned, Takeshi estimated that he must have been nearly 4000 years old when he was sealed away by the Templars.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Next Stop – Paris_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


“Come on big guy, let's go for a ride to let you get used to the feeling.”  
With breakfast out of the way Takeshi separated the truck from the trailers so that he could take Knight out on the roads for a bit.  
“I guess I might as well get it over with.”  
Knight was clearly somewhat hesitant about the metal monstrosity that was the tractor unit of their rig.  


“Come on, get in.”  
Takeshi showed him to the spare seat in the back of the cabin.  
“I'm afraid you will have to make do with this seat, the other seats are custom made for small passengers, and even this one might be a bit uncomfortable for you.”  
Takeshi was happy to find that the belt was long enough to strap the giant of a man in properly.  
“I don't like this...”  
Knight tugged at the belt, clearly not comfortable with being strapped in.  
“I'm sorry, but it's the law, and it's for your safety, these vehicles can move pretty fast, and sometimes there are accidents. Here, let me show you how to remove the belt.”  
After a few rounds of securing and removing the seat belt Knight seemed a bit more comfortable.  
“Ready to hit the road?”  
“No?”  


Takeshi just laughed at the reply and started the engine and let it idle for a while to allow Knight to get used to the soft sound of the electric engine before putting it in gear and driving around the city for a while.  
“This is actually quite comfortable once you get used to being stuck like this.”  
It took a while, but Knight gradually relaxed and was spending more and more time looking out the windows.  
“Good, I was worried the seat would be too small for you, but it seems to be okay.”  
While driving Takeshi explained a bit about things they were seeing and Knight was asking a lot of questions.  
“It's pretty amazing how fast you are picking up modern English.”  
Takeshi couldn't help noting how much Knight's manner of speech had changed in less than a day.  
“Like I told your little Lilim, It's one of my demon abilities. The girls have been chattering non stop, giving me ample time to adjust.”  
“Would it be safe to assume you speak a few demon languages?”  
“I have a fair understanding of several, but the one I'm most comfortable with is Urui, it's a common language that most demons speak.”  
“Urui?”  
Takeshi asked while laughing, unable to help himself when he heard the name of the language.  
“Yes..?”  
Knight was clearly confused by the odd behavior.  
“I'm sorry, but in my native language Urui is a vegetable that my mother was very fond of.”  
“Ah, I see.”  
“Do think you could teach us this Urui? It could be useful to know if we manage to get to the demon realm.”  
“Of course. I'm not much of a teacher though.”  
“Don't worry, we are both quick learners, and we will probably have a few years at least. Not to mention I know a few tricks to help us.”  
“I bet you do. I'm very curious about the way you wield your power.”  
The rest of the drive was spent with Takeshi telling Knight about how he used his power.  


When they returned to the campsite they were greeted by a sharp neigh and a very energetic demon.  
“Correct me if I'm mistaken, but that was challenge, wasn't it?”  
Takeshi looked at the prancing demon with amused curiosity.  
“Indeed it is.”  
Knight turned to his steed a mumbled something into the mane and it responded with soft snickers and a wide range of snorts and sounds that Takeshi didn't know how to describe, but it was obvious that Knight understood the creature fairly well.  
“He wishes to test his strength against you _metal beast_ , to prove he is strong enough to pull the same load.”  
Takeshi stepped up to the demon brushed his aura against, trying to get a feel for it and found that he understood, it was every bit as overwhelmed as it's rider and wanted to prove itself, wanted to show it still had what it took to be Knight's companion.  
“I guess we could try to make something to let you give it a try.”  
The snort and snicker that answered him sounded decidedly grateful.  
It took them most of the day to come up with a way to reinforce the saddle and attach the trailers so they could be pulled, but when they were ready Takeshi had a very eager demon on his hands.  
Takeshi was genuinely impressed when the creature managed to pull both trailers and even managed to move at a pretty good speed, but he could tell from the way the fire flared around it that it was using most of its power to do so.  


“Impressive power.”  
He offered it a large steak while scratching the spot behind its main horn where he had noticed that Knight always scratched it, it was probably a hard spot to reach.  
The happy sound that he was rewarded with told him his guess was spot on.  
“It's amazing. You're the first male I have ever seen him accept so readily.”  
Knight stepped up behind him, and was standing just a bit too close for it to be casual, which made Takeshi growl slightly in objection.  
It wasn't really the closeness that made his instincts rebel, it was the fact that Knight was standing behind him, and that he was larger, making the position seem dominant, and protective.  
“Oh, touchy.”  
Knight was obviously amused, but he did step to the side before kneeling down to make sure he would register as less dominant, and non threatening and a few moments later his aura lit up with a teasing energy as he leaned against Takeshi's leg.  
“Sorry about that. I'm just not used to having another male alpha around.”  
“Don't worry, you are doing great. Especially considering I **am** teasing you a bit.”  
The teasing confession earned Knight a huff and a half-hearted slap to back of his head, but Takeshi didn't do anything to move away, instead he placed his hand on top of Knight's head.  
While it did cause a slight raise in Knight's aura the old giant quickly settled down and accepted the touch for what it was, a low key sign of dominance.  
It would probably take quite a while before they found a balance between their instinctive need to be the one in charge, thankfully Knight was old enough to have a bit of control over his instincts, enough control to allow him to force them down and let Takeshi be the dominant one.  


“Come on, I'll show you how to hook up the trailer and check the connections.”  
Together they removed the lines that had been used to allow the demon stallion to pull the trailers and Takeshi inspected the trailer and coupling mechanism before getting into the tractor and using the camera system to make sure everything was lined up.  
The electronic support systems made it a breeze to get the trailer hitched, and once the pin was locked into position he showed Knight how to attach the hoses and cables.  
“Now, we can look here to see the status of the trailers and the connection.”  
“I'm not very good at reading.”  
Knight admitted softly while looking at the tablet.  
“Don't worry, It's color coded. Green means everything is okay, yellow means that something is wrong, but not dangerously so, yet at least, and red means something is wrong or broken in a way that could be dangerous.”  
“So this color, like half ripe lemons would mean that something isn't entirely okay?”  
Knight pointed toward one of the pressure indicators that was showing a color somewhere in between green and yellow.  
“That's right. This is one of the air pressure indicators, it takes a while for the system to reach optimal pressure, if you look closely you can see that it's gradually becoming more pure green.”  
“Ah, I see.”  
Takeshi went through the various readouts, then had Knight repeat the information back to him.  
“Good, you clearly have a sharp mind. We will have you up to date in no time.”  


They decided not to rush things and instead allow Knight time to adjust, but they agreed they needed to shop for clothes,, while Knight was perfectly happy wearing nothing but the old monk's robe he would need a bit more to be able to move around without drawing unwanted attention.  
“We will head into town and rent a more suitable car, then we can go into Paris and find a tailor to make some clothes for you. I doubt we will be able to find anything suitable off the rack.”  
“Off the rack?”  
Knight's obvious confusion at the expression made everyone snicker before Takeshi explained.  
“Most people today wear mass produced clothes bought in stores where they keep a lot of identical garments in different sizes on racks. But you are much larger than most people, making it hard to find something that will fit you, so we will visit a tailor to have clothes custom made for you.”  
“Oh, I see. That would mean expensive, would it not?”  
“Don't worry, I'm a very wealthy man. And I consider spending on friends, family, pack, and those under my protection to be a worthy cause.”  
“If that is your decision.”  
“It is. Now how about you get some rest while we are away? Unless of course you girls want to stay here with Knight?”  
Takeshi could tell that the twins were torn about what to do, but in the end their lingering trauma won out and they chose to go with Takeshi and Emelie.  
“Sorry Mr Knight...”  
Maria sounded genuinely sad as she apologized to Knight for being afraid to stay with him without Takeshi or Emelie being there.  
“Don't be little one, you have nothing to apologize for. You are but pups, and the security and comfort of a pup is their alpha pair.”  
Knight knew the truth of the girls, Takeshi had told him the first night, but he opted to comfort her without mentioning that he knew.  
After a quick goodbye Takeshi and the others headed to Paris while Knight took the time to relax, and spend some time re bonding with his steed as the demon had clearly missed him.  


“How about this one?”  
Emelie pointed toward a large Dodge pickup with a hard top and Takeshi nodded slightly before asking the employee if she could get the keys to allow him to test sit the car.  
Satisfied with the available space in the cab Takeshi signed the papers and rented it for 2 weeks, the amount of time they were planning to stay in Orléans.  
“Daddy, can we ride with you?”  
Sarah and Maria looked at the large pickup with avid curiosity.  
“Of course.”  
He quickly helped them climb up into the cab and get them strapped in.  
“Em, how about you take point so we don't have to transfer the GPS data?”  
“Sure, thing.”  
She practically chirped at him before getting in the GT-R and driving off, goal set on the first tailor shop on the list.  
They had agreed to locate a suitable tailor while they were in Paris in order to minimize Knight's exposure to city traffic on his first real visit.  


“Mr Knight!”  
Sarah and Maria scrambled out of the rental and ran over to Knight the moment the engine was turned off.  
“Hello girls.”  
Knight scooped the twins up without missing a beat and they squealed in delight when he hoisted them up on his shoulders, while carefully holding on to them so they wouldn't slip or fall.  
Walking over to Takeshi he put the girls down before looking at the rented car.  
“This one does seem a bit more comfortable.”  
“Why don't you get in and see how you fit.”  
Knight quickly climbed in and tried to get comfortable.  
“My knees are hitting this part.”  
He knocked on the passenger side panel and glove compartment.  
“Don't worry, the seat can be moved back quite a bit.”  
Takeshi quickly moved over to him.  
“Reach under the seat here, there's a lever that you can lift up toward the seat, that will release the mechanism and let you push the seat back.”  
Takeshi watched as Knight reached under the seat and found the lever to adjust the position of the seat, the surprised grunt when he pulled it up and the seat moved made Takeshi snort at him.  
“Don't worry, you can push it back as far as you like, the twins will be riding with Em.”  
Takeshi took the time to help Knight adjust the seat fully so he was as comfortable as possible.  


“We found a suitable tailor to make some basic clothing for you, but I would like to bring you to various stores so you can have a look at modern clothing to find clothes you feel comfortable with.”  
Takeshi brought up the plans for the next few days again, trying to coax Knight into agreeing on some more details.  
“You sound like my mother...”  
The good natured complaint made Takeshi huff at him and slap the back of his head.  
“Focus please. For the safety of those under my protection I need you to be able to be inconspicuous, and being inconspicuous requires you to be comfortable, especially since you are quite a big guy, easy to notice and remember.”  
“Apologies.”  
The shift in Knight's attitude was instant, and before long they had their plans made for the upcoming week or so.  


“Good night big guy.”  
Emelie was dragging Takeshi toward the trailer, and their bedroom, she wasn't desperate enough to handle Knight watching them at the moment.  
“Have fun kids.”  
Knowing well that the pair were not going to be sleeping anytime soon Knight forewent wishing them to sleep well which earned him a flying pillow courtesy of Emelie's tail, while Takeshi just laughed.  
Not long after finding their mutual release there was a soft knock on the door, interrupting their lazy cuddle.  
“Yes?”  
Takeshi let his aura flare slightly, inviting Knight to open the door and a moment later he peeked in with a slightly sheepish look.  
“I might be overstepping, but do you think you could stand having me sleep in here with you? I'm fine with the floor.”  
They could both feel Knight's discomfort and a hint of something akin to fear flickering through his aura and they understood.  
During the time in the crypt Knight had slipped into a state of hibernation, barely aware of what was happening, and it had protected his mind, but now that he was fully aware the trauma of the event was surfacing.  
The previous night had been spent talking so it was the first night they would actually be sleeping.  
“Of course, come here.”  
Emelie quickly scooted closer to the edge and Takeshi patted the bed behind him, inviting Knight to join them.  
The soft sigh of relief at the invitation had both of them snickering and teasing Knight lightly.  
After a good deal of shifting around Knight ended up flat on his back in the middle of the bed with Takeshi curled into his side, and Emelie sprawled over his chest.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Next Stop – Paris_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


“Knight, would you be a dear and fire up the stone oven?”  
Emelie checked on the sourdough she had prepared the previous evening and hummed in satisfaction when she found it perfectly risen.  
“Of course little Lilim.”  
Knight was clearly in a better mood, it would seem that their acceptance of his plea for closeness had done him good and he laughed as he evaded Emelie's tail, which earned him an annoyed hiss.  
Knight really loved his bread so Emelie had increased the volume of her sourdough starters and made 10 loaves of bread instead of the usual pair, and she made several different versions to see which ones he preferred.  
“Oh, this one has olives in it?”  
Knight leaned in and took a sniff at one of the loaves in the first batch.  
“Mhm, I made a few different ones, olives, tomatoes and herbs, nuts, fruits & seeds in different combinations.”  
There was no mistaking the joy in Knight's aura as he picked her up and gave her a crushing hug before depositing her on his shoulders and placing the bread into the oven and closing it up.  


After a big breakfast with still hot bread they closed up the trailers, got in the cars, and headed toward Paris.  
“As I've already explained, I detest lies, but we need to have some sort of story to explain how come you have no clothes. It would also explain your lack of ID in case we are stopped by police.”  
It was a bit over an hour drive to Paris, so Takeshi made use of the time to go through a few more details before they arrived.  
“Well, there was this time I got distracted by a group of the most alluring little nymphs, I was so distracted by their beauty that I completely forgot about my campfire and manage to burn down my shelter, and my clothes.”  
The rather embarrassing story had Takeshi laughing, and agreeing that using it as a cover was an excellent compromise, while not pertinent to the current situation it was still true.  


“This is more clothes than I have ever owned at once.”  
Knight's whispered half complaint when the tailor stepped out of the room to look in on Emelie and the twins made Takeshi snicker at him.  
“Oh, this is just the beginning, we are going to visit several stores as well so you can have a look at what kind of clothes you like, even if they may not have your size.”  
The half-hearted glare only lasted for a moment before Knight's shoulders sagged and he let out a deep sigh.  
“That's the spirit.”  
Takeshi teased with a laugh.  
“Honestly, I'm more curious what it is your little lilim is buying that is such a secret.”  
“You and me both, but she has a wicked temper, so we better not try to find out.”  


It was late afternoon by the time they were done with the tailor, and they had a promise that a basic set of pants and shirt based on Takeshi's gi would be ready to pick in 2 days, and that they could come in for a first fitting on Friday.  
“Let's get home and get some proper food.”  
They had been offered a simple lunch at the tailor, but it really didn't do much to sate demon appetites.  
“Please, I feel like I could eat and entire boar.”  
Knight mock whined, but Takeshi knew the giant of a man probably was very hungry as his body was still recovering.  
“Good thing we happen to have a few boars in the meat locker then.”  
Emelie snickered while getting the twins strapped in.  


Much to their relief there was an all year open season on wild boar and feral pigs due to a significant overpopulation that caused a lot of damage to wild habitats as well as crops and gardens.  
And they could also be quite aggressive, making them dangerous to people, to combat this the European Union had made changes to hunting regulations, making it very easy for anyone with a license to get a government permit, which allowed them to hunt on any government owned land.  
A lot of farmers and landowners also listed their lands as available for anyone with a government permit which meant Takeshi could hunt whenever they stopped, which helped keep them well fed.  


“Take, would you join me for a moment?”  
“Of course.”  
Takeshi gave Knight a tap on the shoulder and asked him to keep an eye on the twins and the roasting meat.  
“So, what is on you mind sweetie?”  
“He's not recovering too well, is he? Feels like his energy is getting weaker again.”  
“He is recovering, just very slowly.”  
Takeshi gently soothed her worries, promising that their new companion was doing okay.  
“Maybe I should offer him some more blood?”  
“He wouldn't want that.”  
Takeshi knew that Knight would accept if she handed him the blood after the fact, but only to ensure she hadn't bled in vain, he would not be happy about it.  
That he had accepted without much argument in the tomb was because he was extremely weak, and unsure of their intentions.  
“Time and good food will get him back in shape, don't worry.”  


Heading back outside they lingered by the door and watched as Knight poked at the meat and brushed some of the oil with crushed herbs and garlic onto it.  
“Mr Knight!”  
“Look!”  
The twins' eager calls brought everyone's attention to them and they began to put on a show, displaying all the tricks Eriko had taught them along with a few they had made up on their own, much to their teachers delight, and Takeshi's dismay.  
Though he would never admit it he had actually taught them a few of those tricks himself, to use on Eriko as payback for the price she asked for teaching them.  


The way they called him _Mr Knight_ made him chuckle as it brought to mind an old TV-show when he was a child, the twins had asked Knight about his real name, but he had told them that he had been called so many names he no longer remembered which one was his true name and that he was fine with being called _Mr Knight_.  
Takeshi knew that wasn't true though, Knight simply felt he was unworthy of the name his mother had given him since he had not been there to fight for their city when it was attacked, the fact that he called himself _Exile_ had been proof enough, but he had explained it to Takeshi during their drive.  
Takeshi had informed him that they would have to think of a proper name for him since in this era everyone needed documents proving who they were, but Knight had just shrugged and told him to use whatever he saw fit.  


“What an interesting power you have.”  
Knight was genuinely impressed by, and very curious about, the tricks the twins were showing off.  
“It's not really ours though, we're just borrowing it.”  
The twins explanation only made Knight more curious, and somewhat confused so Takeshi steppe din and explained.  
“An ally of mine is a Kitsune, Japanese spirit fox, and she has gifted them with a spark of her foxfire to allow them to perform the illusion magic of her kind.”  
“I see. This Japan is not a land familiar to me.”  
“It's an island chain east of China and Russia. I could show you on a world map if you are curious.”  
“That would be much appreciated.”  
“Don't worry big guy. We will do our best to get you up to date, I promise.”  
“It will be a hard debt to repay.”  
“You seem to forget how highly I value my pack, my precious Em.”  
“Your beloved little lilim.”  
Takeshi just looked at Knight, but didn't answer the dig about his feelings for Emelie which earned him a smile that was equal parts knowing and teasing.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Next Stop – Paris_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


“None of these clothes seem very practical.”  
Takeshi sighed in relief as Knight rejected the clothes in the current section of the store they were visiting.  
“Oh, this time you seem happy that I don't like the clothes?”  
“It's a subculture fashion that I am not particularly fond of. Quite frankly, I think it looks ridiculous.”  
“And yet you chose to show me this?”  
“Of course. You are the one who will wear it, not me. Whatever you like, we will get.”  
“I trust your taste, so I would appreciate if you would warn me about styles you find less than agreeable.”  
“Okay, I'll make sure to laugh if you pick something that will make you look ridiculous.”  
The teasing promise earned him a slap on the arm, but Knight was chuckling as well.  


“Oh, this looks like it could be both comfortable and practical.”  
Knight paused and turned around a few racks of pants into a corner of the store that showcased heavy denim, long sleeve shirts, belts, boots and hats in the western style.  
“Oh, going for the cowboy look are we?”  
“Hmm?”  
Knight obviously, and quite naturally, had no idea what Takeshi was talking about.  
“The style is derives from the work clothes of cattle herders in America some 200 years ago.”  
Knight nodded, recalling his geography lesson.  
“And it would be an acceptable style in your opinion?”  
“Yeah, I think it would suit you really well.”  
Imagining how Knight would look in the displayed clothes Takeshi nodded to himself, the somewhat rough clothing would probably look really good on the giant of a male.  
“Come on, let's pick your favorites to give the tailors something to work on.”  
Takeshi ended up having to be the model for the various items that Knight was interested in as the store didn't carry anything his size, but that was expected.  


After paying an extra fee for the tailors to rush the completion of the clothes, and offering a substantial bonus if they could get it all done within 2 weeks, they headed toward the restaurant where they would meet up with Emelie and the girls, share a meal, and then head back home.  
“Tomorrow we will have a visitor at the camp, a contact of mine who is good at making identification papers. I sent him that picture I took after shaving you so he could make you a passport and a basic photo ID.”  
“I see.”  
“I have no idea what name you will be getting other than that I asked him to make Knight your last name to make things easier. We will make a proper identity for you later, but that takes a bit more work as we would have to manufacture an entire background that will hold up to closer scrutiny.”  


“Mr Wolf. Good to see you again.”  
A man in a legionnaire's off duty uniform stepped out of the small black car and walked up to their trailers.  
“Likewise Mr De-lis.”  
Takeshi greeted the man with a nod and gave him a quick once over, as always the uniform was immaculate and all identifying emblems had been removed and replaced with _Fleurs-de-lis,_ a slightly deeper examination of his aura revealed nothing out of the ordinary so Takeshi called for Knight and the others to join him.  
“My my, that **is** quite a large guy. He would have made a nice pioneer indeed.”  
The ID that had been arranged for Knight was that of an retired Foreign Legion Pioneer, injured in the line of duty and given French citizenship under the provision that stated that a legionnaire who spilled blood for France was made french by that blood.  


“Come Claude, join us for a meal.”  
Takeshi invited their guest to join them and he readily accepted.  
“Ah, you always did have a knack for great food.”  
Gathering around the meal they engaged in a light conversation, in part to allow _Claude,_ to get to know Knight a bit, he was after all about to give them an ID that would say that Knight was a former legionnaire.  
The French Foreign Legion was a tight knit group that placed great importance on their values of honor and dignity and he would not give Knight the ID if he believed he was unworthy.  
Takeshi had no doubts though.  
“If you don't mind me asking, what would the duties of a pioneer be?”  
Knight's question clearly pleased Claude who began to explain the tasks and duties of the pioneers, the legion version of sappers.  


“As always Wolf here has a good eye for people, you will make a good Damian Knight, former legionnaire pioneer.”  
Claude handed them the document case which held the new ID, passport, and some background documents such as proof of citizenship, service records and a few odds and ends that would make him seem legit at a cursory glance, but it wouldn't hold up to a proper investigation.  
But combined with Takeshi's suggestion, Emelie's seduction, and the twins illusions, it should be plenty enough to get Knight through any checks they might run into without raising any flags.  


With the major components done their focus shifted toward making more detailed plans for how to retrieve Knight's possessions, with them being stored in one of the many sublevels of the Louvre it could become tricky to get to them, even with the professor aiding them.  
“We need some way to carry the armor out without anyone noticing and that means we need to make it past the surveillance cameras.”  
Emelie was mostly concerned about how they would make it out with a full armor the size of Knight.  
“Worry not little Lilim. My armor is bespelled, much like how your alpha here hides things within his soul, and the tack of my steed is hidden, my armor and sword are stored within a pair of vambraces.”  
He explained that he could sense that his armor was in it's hidden form, so all there would be would be a pair of vambraces, which would be easy enough to carry out of there.  
“Ah, that's good.”  


Knight watched with avid curiosity as Emelie crawled into Takeshi's lap and began pushing his clothes aside, revealing the lilies tattooed over his heart.  
Placing her hand over them she leaned in and whispered softly.  
“Will you aid us in this task if needed?”  
She smiled as the response was instant, an almost eager push against her aura.  
“What are those? They feel alive.”  
Knight was leaning in for a closer look and Emelie was the one to answer.  
“They are the spirits of lost allies, friends, lovers. Stolen away by betrayal from those who claimed to protect. Bound to this realm, soul and spirit by magic and _Fukushuu_ , the oath of vengeance. And with the oath fulfilled the souls moved on while the spirits chose to remain, to give their skills to aid the one they all loved in protecting what he treasures.”  
Knight nodded silently at her explanation, recalling what they had told him about the unit that had been murdered in a cowardly attack.  


“This one holds what remains of my mother.”  
Emelie added with a wistful smile and her voice tainted by pain as she touched the Sayuri that held her mother's spirit and it instantly responded to her touch with a gentle glow.  
Knight didn't say anything, he just stood up and stepped over to them, placing one hand on Emelie's shoulder and the other on Takeshi's, the simple touch carried more meaning than any words would ever be able to.  
There was a flicker of unease in Knight's aura when the spirits within the Sayuri rose and touched him before settling back, accepting his presence near those they would protect.  
As the moment passed Knight shook his head and muttered about collecting the odd.  
“With any luck the professor will be able to get us in without questions and we won't need their aid to obtain it.”  
Takeshi knew they would gladly help, but he did not want to have to rely on them, it took a lot of energy to maintain them when they became active and he was still learning how to channel his energy properly for that task.  


 


	5. Stealing From The Louvre

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Stealing From The Louvre_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


It was finally time to move on with their plan, a plan that was very similar to the one they had used when they freed the girls, Emelie would once again play the blind woman and Takeshi the role of her service dog, Knight would pretend to be her husband and along for the visit would be their twin daughters.  
The professor would bring them into the catacombs beneath the Louvre under the pretense that Emelie was an avid student of history who had recently lost her eyesight and he was taking her to some of the less valuable, less fragile items, to allow her to _see_ them by touch.  


In reality he was being forced by Takeshi's _command_ to bring them to a secret vault that housed various enchanted items that could not be explained by science without revealing the existence of magic and therefor had been hidden away.  
It also held some old records that detailed the true events during several historical events, truths that certain groups did not want to become common knowledge, but the Record Keepers would not allow them to be destroyed.  
From the professor, who was one of them, they had found that the Record Keepers traced their roots back as far as the written word, and even then they hailed from the traveling storytellers that were the Keepers of their time.  
They were the scribes of royalty and religious leaders, loyal only to themselves and their oath of absolute objectivity.  
The order that the professor belonged to however were a splinter group that had abandoned their oath of objectivity and instead sided with the Knights Templars in their views, deeming anything or anyone, not human or with powers beyond human to be evil, unless sharing the Templar views and using their abilities to further the Templar agenda.  


“What in the world is taking her so long?”  
Knight was taping his fingers against the arm of the small couch while looking toward the door where Emelie had disappeared about half an hour earlier.  
“Easy big guy, she will come when she is good and ready.”  
They were seated at the tailor waiting to see what it was Emelie had ordered during their first visit to arrange Knight's clothes, she had refused to let them see it or tell them what it was.  
When she finally stepped out of the dressing room Knight nearly fell off his chair at the sight and the string of mumbled words sounded almost like a prayer.  
“Wow....”  
“ _Kirei_....”  
Takeshi agreed with Knight's assessment of Emelie's looks, she was absolutely gorgeous.  


She was wearing a decorated top that carried strong influences of the _Bedlah_ , the traditional belly dancers costume with its rich decorations of beads and coins that hung down along her sides, accentuating her wide hips and slender waist.  
The skirt, if you could even call it that, was an impossibly short thing, little more that a belt decorated with coins that wrapped around and hung low on her hips, the thing was short enough to allow her tail an almost full range of motion.  
When her body began to move to the beat of music only she could hear Takeshi suppressed a groan and shook his head to try to clear his mind, it was obvious she had at some point studied the art of belly dancing.  
“Oh Damn! I'm going to enjoy having a wife like this!”  
Knight exclaimed when he finally got his bearings back.  
“Even if it's just make believe.”  
He added with a half serious, half sad, but clearly teasing, tone as they watched her go back into the other room.  
“She is something special...”  
Takeshi hummed in agreement.  
“She will make you a fine mate one day.”  
Knight's words, declaring Emelie to be Takeshi's future mate helped soothe instincts ruffled by the fact that they would be pretending that Knight and Emelie were husband and wife.  


“Aw, no. Why did you change it? I liked the other one much better!”  
Knight complain when Emelie came out again and had replaced the short wraparound with a floor length tiered gypsy skirt that looked like it had enough fabric to make an entire wardrobe.  
“I bet you did.”  
She teased as she twirled around a few times before allowing the tailor's assistant to help her wrap a longer and much more elaborate coin belt around her hips.  
“Who knows, if you boys behave I might just give you a show when we are done here, I used to be pretty good back when I took classes.”  
Takeshi and Knight shared one look before they both shook their heads with a somewhat pained groan and when they stood to leave there was a certain awkward stiffness to their movements that made Emelie grin internally, her revenge was just getting started.  


She had quickly found that Knight had a very similar personality to Takeshi, only he was less restrained, where Takeshi's upbringing would make him rein himself in and resist his urges the old giant would instead act on them without hesitation or restraint, it had taken several rather harsh reprimands from both her and Takeshi to get him to at least keep the worst of it somewhat in private.  
Just like Takeshi he was a tease and very physical, always touching, whispering suggestions, his aura would always wash against hers whenever he was close enough to do so without reaching too obviously.  
He would even go as far as nipping at her ears and tail whenever he had a chance, clearly aware of the effects it had on a succubus, and her reactions triggered Takeshi to try to outdo him, to get a stronger reaction out of her using what he had learned over the years they had been together.  
All in all, they were having a good old pissing contest, and she was their tape-measure.  


As a result she was in a constant state of sexual frustration, despite her nights with Takeshi that were even more satisfying than usual, the entire situation had him far more aggressive and demanding than usual, releasing his aura fully.  
He had explained that it was the Beast's instincts that were messing with him, it was at some level seeing Knight as a threat to the Pack, as competition, an older, roaming male trying to steal away its precious Alpha female.  
Trying to force back the instinct to ensure she would stay with the Pack had been even more taxing so as long as the only side effect was their nights becoming more intense they agreed he would simply allow himself to act on those competitive instincts.  
But the constant, full, release of his aura, while extremely enjoyable, had her a bit worried, he would always be tired and drained in the morning and he ate much more than usual, indicating that his body was struggling to keep up with the strain of maintaining a control he was not used to.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Stealing From The Louvre_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


When it was time to act they had parked at a trucking facility outside the city and taken public transportation to the Louvre to meet with the professor, they would draw a lot less attention that way.  
Also, with Emelie pretending to be blind, and Takeshi being in his wolf form, they had no one who could drive.  
They could of course have driven into the city and then walked to the Louvre from a nearby location, but they had agreed it was too much of a risk, someone could see Emelie driving, and that would undo their cover.  
It was tough on Takeshi though, having so many people in such a close proximity, especially with kids wanting to pet him, young men, and women, hitting on Emelie and a fair share of people being afraid of either him or Knight was very stressful to his enhanced senses.  
It was loud, and the smells, _oh the smells_ , some wearing way too much perfume, others had gone far too long without a proper bath, and then there was the worst kind, those who had gone too long without a bath and tried to cover it with too much perfume.  


“Easy Yakone, easy boy.”  
Emelie brushed her hands through the fur on Takeshi's head and neck, gently tweaking his ears to help him stay calm.  
Her presence, and the twins gentle auras helped him stay grounded, helped him remain in control over instincts that were putting him at edge  
It was a great relief when they finally made it to the Louvre, he had been considering shifting in the middle of the bus, consequences be damned, just to get rid of the overwhelming cacophony and stench.  
His ability to suppress his senses was limited while in animal form and just the natural senses of a wolf was bad enough when crammed into such a confined space with all those people.  


When they met with the professor it was Emelie that used her power to secure their control over the old man as Takeshi needed to be able to speak to use his _command_.  
They were quickly lead past a security desk and down into the catacombs beneath the large museum, and after a fairly long walk along winding tunnels they found themselves outside a hidden room that held a sealed vault.  
Opening the locks the professor showed them inside and walked over to a set of drawers, taking out an intricate looking key he unlocked the drawer, and the barrier sealing it at the same time and opened it to reveal a pair of leather and metal bracers and Knight quickly picked them up and put them on.  
There was a wash of power and he stood before them in full armor, an elaborate combination if plate, chain and leather to give protection while still allowing freedom of movement, but a lot of the design seemed to for aesthetics, to instill fear.  
With a disgusted grunt Knight grabbed the white cloak with the red Templar cross and tore it away from his armor, throwing it aside, before another wash of power rippled across it and the color changed from a bright silver to an almost pure black, only a few details standing out with a color that seemed to be a mix of gold and silver.  
Another wash of power brought out a massive greatsword, there was no way an ordinary human would be able to more than barely lift that thing, much less swing it, but Knight easily handled it with one hand before yet another wash of power returned it all to its hidden form.  


“We should check the rest of the items kept here. There may be information that could be useful for your cause.”  
Knight made a sweeping gesture toward the shelves filled with journals and assorted items.  
“Yeah we should. It may also help you get closure.”  
“Perhaps.”  
Knight agreed softly before turning to the twins.  
“You two need to be very careful here. Some of these items are truly evil and may try to trick you, to harm you.”  
“Don't worry Mr Knight, we remember!”  
After finding out that Knight's armor was not the only item with power stored within the vault they had spoken at length with the twins about it, about how dangerous those items could be.  


They spent hours reading and documenting all the texts kept in the vault and the twins had soon gotten bored of their games and began to walk around, looking at the various items stored in the displays, careful not to touch them or get too close.  
“The pretty bow feels sad...”  
A comment from the twins turned the adults attention from the texts they had been studying and they walked down the vault and around a bookshelf to find a glass display case with a beautiful longbow.  
Knight was instantly at the twins side and his voice faltered as he placed his hand against the glass.  
“Minerva... No... No...”  
There was pain and anger in his voice as he looked at the old weapon.  
“So you fell to those bastards in the end.”  
“I wouldn't get too close to that thing if you value your life.”  
It took several minuted before Knight finally spoke up and when he did the professor added his own, crazed, opinion as well.  


“That cursed bow belonged to the She-Devil of Arcadia. Even after the vile creature had been decapitated, burned and the ashes spread on holy ground its evil still permeates that weapon, it will try to kill anyone that touches it!”  
There was a mixture of glee, hate and fear in the professor's voice as he spoke that made Knight wince and shiver.  
“Be silent!”  
Emelie quickly ordered the professor to shut up before turning to Knight and brushing the tip of her tail against his cheek.  
“Don't listen to that brainwashed fool.”  
Knight nodded slightly and after a moment of silence he spoke up.  


“Her name was Akylea, she was a faun, daughter of Pan of Arcadia and a forest nymph. She was a true daughter of the wild, always roaming free.”  
Sitting down heavily on the small stone bench he was instantly joined by the twins, sensing his loss they tried to comfort him as best as they could.  
“I first met her in Greece. I had been traveling for weeks and decided to stop by a small lake to rest, when I headed out to hunt I heard a female singing and driven by curiosity I moved closer. And there, washing herself at the edge of the water was one of the most beautiful creatures I had ever laid eyes on.”  
Tears were falling freely down Knight's face as he spoke, telling them all that he had cared deeply for the owner of the bow, and probably loved her.  
“She had the most adorable little perky tail, beautifully curled horns and dainty little hooves. And I couldn't resist approaching her.”  
There was a long silence before he spoke up again.  
“She was wild, and independent, she valued her freedom over all else, and she was glorious, a force of nature.”  
Lost in memories Knight looked at the bow .  
“She loved to travel and was gifted with the bow Minerva by Artemis so that she would be able to protect herself. After saving Akylea countless times from _dishonorable_ males the sapient bow swore to never bear the touch of a male.”  
“You were close.”  
Emelie's words were not as much a question as a simple statement of fact.  
“When the mood struck her she would come with the setting sun, stay the night and vanish with the morning dew. She was a _playful_ lover and offered the most captivating conversations, I much enjoyed her visits and she will be sorely missed.”  
This time it was Takeshi who placed his hand on Knight's shoulder in an offer of silent support, and the old warrior leaned into the touch, with a wistful smile on his face he leaned back and closed his eyes, allowing himself to be lost to memories.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Stealing From The Louvre_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


“Open it!”  
There was harsh determination in Emelie's voice as she ordered the professor to open the display that held the bow and once it was open she stepped up to it and and carefully hovered her hand above it, not quite touching it.  
“Minerva? Can you hear me, feel me?”  
She questioned the old bow as she let her aura gently push against it to see if it would respond and after a while she did feel an answering push, it was hesitant, weak and filled with a sad longing that Emelie recognized.  
“Such longing, so sad, so much pain. She has nearly given up, given herself to oblivion.”  


Her words seemed distant somehow and it made Takeshi worry for a moment, some sentient weapons were able to take over their wielder, but just as he was about to step up and call her attention a subtle shake of Knight's head stopped him.  
_“Please, Minerva will not harm her. Let her try, maybe the old bow will allow your Lilim to take her out of here.”  
_Takeshi paused for a moment before giving a slight nod, just like his own, Knight's word was not to be taken lightly so he would trust him and his knowledge of this weapon.  
“We can't leave her here!”  
Emelie's words were tainted with pain and sorrow as she carefully touched the bow, focusing her aura and her feelings on it, hoping that her serpent would be able to transmit her thoughts.  
_“Please, allow me to hold you, to carry you out of this place and bring you to a place where you will never have to suffer anyone's touch unless you wish for it yourself.”  
_There was a long moment where nothing happened, but after a while she could sense a reaction to her plea, there was confusion, fear and a hint of anger, then suddenly they vanished and all she could feel was an overwhelming feeling of guilt, a suffocating remorse and shame.  
“No! This was **not** your fault! You will not take the blame for what those monsters did to your mistress, your friend, your sister!”  
There was a barely restrained fury in Emelie's aura as she spoke to the bow, she pleaded, she argued, cried and cursed and finally something shifted in the energy of the weapon.  
Before their eyes it shrunk into what looked like a silvery white bone handle about 20 centimeters long, each end curling into a rams horn and the middle part wrapped in green leather, Minerva's sealed form.  
Emelie picked it up carefully, almost reverently and whispered her thanks before wrapping her tail around it and hiding it away under her skirt.  


Chances were good, even if thoroughly searched, that they would not be able to find it as long as she kept it wrapped in her tail.  
Most humans did not believe in magic, or demons, and many would simply refuse to see anything that was beyond their understanding of what was possible in order to protect themselves, their sanity.  
She could stand before them with her wings fully visible and they would refuse to see them, they would avoid walking into them, and still not acknowledge their existence.  


“We should do something about the rest of these weapons as well, we can't just leave them here.”  
Emelie turned back to the others.  
“Keep in mind that quite a few of these weapons are truly evil things, monstrous things that relish in slaughter and pain, whose only driving force is blood lust.”  
Knight cautioned her.  
“Isn't that even more reason to not leave them down here where they might fall into the hands of someone unable to resist them?”  
Her question silenced Knight for a moment before he conceded her point.  
“It would be hard to carry them out of here though, avoiding the guards would be near impossible, we would have to force them to let us pass. And carrying these things would pose a great threat to our sanity and control.”  
While he agreed she had a point, Knight still felt that it was far too risky, he was fully prepared for quite an argument though as Emelie had proven to be quite stubborn.  


“I will do it.”  
Takeshi suddenly spoke up, instantly cutting short the battle of wills, and arguments, that ensued.  
“I will bring those that are safe with me into the shift, the rest I'll destroy.”  
“And just how do you intend to destroy them? I am pretty sure they are kept here because the Knights Templars were unable to to destroy them.”  
There was doubt in Knight's voice as he questioned if Takeshi's plan was even possible.  
“The Ryujin, her shadow-flame can destroy anything, not even ashes will remain. I will channel her power and incinerate everything within this room.”  
_“Are you sure about that? Don't get me wrong, I know you are crazy strong, but the strain of carrying several of these weapons, it could kill you!”  
_Knight was seriously worried, Takeshi had explained how he was able to store things within his soul and it would be a big risk to carry several sentient weapons like that.  
It was one thing with his own Ryuken and Glenys, they had chosen him and were a part of him, they intentionally minimized the impact and drain on his soul, protecting him from harm.  
_“I am well aware of that, but I can do it. You just promise me you won't say anything to worry the girls.”  
“Anyone ever tell you you are completely nuts?”  
“Promise!”  
_The sheer force of Takeshi's will made Knight falter, and after a few moments he gave in.  
_“Fine, fine! I promise, but don't expect any help when she kicks your ass for this later.”  
_If this crazy stunt didn't get Takeshi killed Knight was sure Emelie would finish the job when she realized the risk he had taken.  


“We should bring some of these texts with us, and definitely the maps, there are many hidden temples and troves marked on them and some are clearly bespelled so they may still be untouched.”  
Knight pointed toward a large pile of books and maps that they had determined contained potentially valuable information.  
“Of course, I intend to bring all of the books and documents, they will not be a burden to me. They contain the true history of our society, that is not something we can afford to be allowed to be lost.”  
Knight was slightly surprised by how strongly Takeshi seemed to feel about protecting the documents, while at the same time showing no interest or care for the various, no doubt valuable, artifacts, apart from the sapient weapons and other potentially dangerous items.  
“Indeed, without our history we can have no future.”  
Emelie agreed as well and together they set to work with sorting the texts and documents into piles for Takeshi to bring into his shift.  


“Daddy, can we bring this as well?”  
The twins pointed toward a boxed dice game crafted from demon-bone, while not possessing any powers or abilities, it was enchanted so that the material was near indestructible.  
“Of course, why don't you see if you can put a fox-charm on it, then you can just put it in your backpack with the other games.”  
Takeshi quickly encouraged them to try to hide the game themselves, it would keep them distracted for a while.  


“Take, do you think we should let the girls feel the weapons, see what their reaction to them is?”  
Emelie's question brought Takeshi's attention from the books he was sorting through.  
“I don't know... Some of them are truly evil.”  
“Yeah, I can feel that. But maybe it would be good to let them examine that feeling more in depth as well while we are here to help them and protect them?”  
When Takeshi didn't answer her she took a deep breath.  
“You once told me that to truly protect me, you would have to teach me how to protect myself, teach me how to recognize danger.”  
Emelie's words made him sigh deeply, she was right, of course, but at the same time he didn't want the girls to feel such raw malice and evil as the one possessed by some of the items.  
“I don't like it, but you're right. As much as I don't want them exposed to such evil, such pure malice, this is an opportunity to teach them a few important lessons.”  
The way she leaned in and trailed kisses along his jaw soothed his instincts and after a few moments he kissed her forehead and tucked her under his chin.  


Once they were done sorting through all the documents it was time to decide which weapons to save, and which to destroy.  
“Sarah, Maria, come here for a bit.”  
“Okay!”  
He brought them to one of the weapons that felt okay before asking them to tell him what they felt.  
“It feels sad, and lonely.”  
“It doesn't want to be here anymore.”  
“I think it wants to come with us.”  
Takeshi agreed with their assessment of how the weapon felt before taking them to another one.  


“No, that one is bad! A liar!” **  
“It's evil!”**  
The both cried out in horror and distress, and reverting to a far more immature behavior they hid behind his legs the moment their aura's touched the dark blade.  
“You're right, that's a very evil thing. I'm sorry I made you feel it, but I needed to know if you were able to tell.”  
The twins just nodded silently while he moved to the next one, which they all agreed would be saved.  


“How about this one?”  
“It feels empty. I don't think it wants to exist anymore.”  
“And the one next to it?”  
“It feels strange, wrong.”  
“I don't understand it...”  
“Mhm. It's lost itself, gone insane.”  
“Will you take it out of here anyway?”  
“No, I won't. I will set it free instead.”  
“Good...”  


He didn't bring them to all the weapons though, some of them were so dark it made his skin crawl and his aura refused to touch them.  
Instead he focused on the others, those that seemed almost serene, some yearning for the touch of an aura that understood, that didn't judge them.  
Others were clearly insane and those he would allow to burn along with the truly malevolent ones, to spare them their suffering, a few of the ones he would have preferred to save also begged to be allowed release from their never ending existence, not willing to keep going without their wielders, but unable to end it themselves.  


When it was time to leave Takeshi ushered the others out of the vault so he could do what he needed to do without risking them getting hurt.  
“I need you guys to step outside while I do this, once I release the shadow-flame I won't be able to control it very well, I can keep it within the vault, but that's about it.”  
“Be careful...”  
“I will sweetie.”  
Closing the door between them Takeshi turned his attention to the items within the vault and with some gentle coaxing he brought the weapons into his soul before reaching for the ryujin.  
_**“This is foolish, but I will nonetheless lend my power to this task.”**_  
Kiryu was somewhat concerned, what Takeshi was planning was dangerous, but at the same time she knew he had to do it, that it was one of the trials he would have to overcome if he was to find his true power, and destiny.  
_“I know it is. I also know I have to do this.”_  
Takeshi tried to soothe the ancient dragon but it wasn't doing much good, especially since he was rather nervous himself, he had never tried to channel the shadow-flame in such a way before.  
_“Be safe Take.”  
_The final touch of her mind before opening her power to him felt a lot like a kiss, then there was only power, and fire.  


Kiryu watched in silence as the one she had bound her very life to burned through his energy at a frightening rate and she opened her soul as much as she could, letting him draw as much power as possible from her, but even then he was dangerously weak when the flames died down and she silently prayed that he would recover.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Stealing From The Louvre_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


“Is daddy okay?”  
The twins were looking at the closed door with concern evident in their faces, and auras as the minutes added up steadily, each of them feeling agonizingly long.  
“Your alpha is strong, have faith in him.”  
“I'm scared...”  
Emelie and Knight both focused on trying to keep the twins mood up, in part to distract themselves from their own concerns and fears.  
_“They seem much younger when they are scared.”_  
Knight kept his observations silent.  
_“Yeah, it's a bit of a defense mechanism. By acting younger and more immature than they really are they enhance our instincts to protect and soothe.”_  
Emelie agreed and explained a bit.  
_“I see, I guess that makes sense.”_  


About half an hour later the door slid open and Takeshi stepped out of the vault in his wolf form, and within the vault nothing remained but bare walls.  
Without a word he stepped up beside Emelie and began walking out of there but there was a subdued feel to his aura that worried Emelie.  
_“He needs to use all his power to keep them within his soul, his power is focused inwards, even the part that he usually uses to feel out his surroundings. You are used to always feeling his aura seek yours out, touching it and now that it does not it makes it feel strange and subdued.”  
_Knight tried to soothe her worry without adding to the girls worry, he didn't mention that Takeshi's aura really was subdued and weak and that he himself was worried about it.  


Stepping into the metro Takeshi barely noticed the sounds and smells, he was struggling to just walk without swaying or in any other way reveal just how exhausted he was.  
It was obvious though that the others were sensing that something was wrong, especially the twins were fretting acting very protective, telling people not to come close to him, something he was immensely grateful for and would have to thank them later.  


“ _Em, sweetie, would you send the girls to bed please. I don't want them to be here when I shift and expel this stuff from my soul.”  
“Of course.”_  
She quickly turned to the twins.  
“Come on girls, time to go to bed, you have had a long day today.”  
“But mom, it's still early!”  
Both of them complained rather loudly at being sent to bed hours earlier than normal, despite having been up much earlier than normal as well.  
“No buts today. Take needs to be able to rest and relax, and he won't be able to do that if he is worrying about you. You can play some games if you want to, but you will stay in your room.”  
“Okay...”  
Eventually they gave in and went into their small bedroom and Emelie headed back to the larger room she shared with Takeshi, and now Knight.  


“ _Are they sleeping?”  
_Takeshi asked with a weary note in his mental voice.  
_“No, but they will stay in their room.”_  
_“Em, the barriers please.”_  
With a slight pulse of her aura Emelie activated the barriers around the twins bedroom, blocking out sound as well as any fluctuations of energy outside their room.  
Turning around she cried out in horror as Takeshi faltered and fell.  
“Take!”  
But before she could get to his side Knight stepped in and blocked her which earned him a snarl and a flare of her power battering against his will.  
“Easy, give him some room to shift, he needs to expel all that extra baggage while he shifts.”  
As she moved back slightly Knight pushed his aura against Takeshi.  
“Come on, shift already.”  


Knight cursed as he realized Takeshi had drained himself so far that he was barely aware of what was happening around him.  
“Lilim! Use your power, force him to shift!”  
“But..!”  
She objected not only to the violation of forcing her will on him, but also voiced her doubts that she would be able to, he had always been able to resist her without much effort.  
“Do it now or he won't have the power to shift! He won't have the strength to resist you, just act fast.”  
_“I'm sorry.”  
_She begged forgiveness as she focused her power on Takeshi's barely conscious form, using her seduction and what she had learned about using _command_ and _suggestion_ from him to force her will on him.  
“Shift! Please...”  
She half ordered, half begged and after a few agonizingly long moments the telltale shimmer in his aura appeared and the wolf was replaced by Takeshi's human form, and the weapons saved from the vault, and as soon as they had been expelled his aura settled into a pattern that told them he was unconscious.  
“Come on, help me get him onto the bed.”  
Emelie was frantic with worry as she pulled on Takeshi's unconscious form.  
“Damn, he is a lot heavier than he looks.”  
Knight complained as he picked Takeshi up and moved him to the bed.  
“Would you get him out of those clothes while I put this stuff away please.”  
“Of course.”  


“Take? Knight!”  
As Knight was putting the artifacts away he heard a panicked call from the sleeping area and he hurried there.  
“What's wrong?”  
“His blades, they suddenly just appeared!”  
True to her words both the Ryuken and Glenys lay across his chest, and that was not a good sign and he decided he had to tell her what was going on.  
“Carrying something like these sapient weapons within your soul drains a lot of energy, these two intentionally minimize that strain, but for them to have ejected themselves like this, it's not good, it means his energy is too low to safely carry them, too low to safely withstand their power..”  
Reaching for the blades to move them Knight quickly pulled back when black flames erupted around the dragon blade.  
“Lilim, see if they will allow you to move them, you carry traces of his aura, they might recognize and accept you where they still see me as an outsider.”  
Nodding she reached for the blades and after a moment of hesitation she could feel their reluctant acceptance and she picked them up and moved them to the small desk by the opposite wall.  
“Dammit, he really drained himself badly. It's going to take a rather radical treatment to keep him alive.”  
Knight muttered curses as he examined Takeshi's aura.  


“What do you mean _to keep him alive_?”  
There was panic in Emelie's voice and Knight cursed himself, he had not meant for her to hear that, but now that she had there was no point in trying to hide it from her, besides, he would need her help to increase the chances to save the foolish young alpha anyway.  
“His energy levels are too low to sustain him, unless we can get them up he will die, and I only know one way to do that.”  
“How?”  
She was practically begging him.  
“The blood of a demon, your blood. As a Lilim your blood holds more power than most. Just like how it revived me it holds power enough to be able to bring his energy back to a level that can sustain him.”  
With a heavy breath he closed his eyes, Takeshi was still essentially human at his core, ingesting the blood of a demon, especially a Lilim, would change him, his own mixed blood might be weak enough to not cause a change, but it was probably too weak to give the power Takeshi needed to survive.  
He debated whether he should tell her or not, but recalled the promise he made and just how determined Takeshi was to protect what was his, he would not allow himself to be overcome by the change.  


“So all we need to do is make him drink my blood?”  
“Yes.”  
Knight struggled not to reveal his worry as he watched her crawl up on the bed next to Takeshi and carefully move his head into her lap before using a razor sharp nail to cut across her wrist and allowing the blood to flow into his mouth.  
“Come on dammit, swallow. Please, I love you, I can't lose you...”  
When nothing happened her aura began to swell with power and the ring on her right hand began to glow.  
“You gave me your oath! You promised me Eternity! Are you going to become an Oath-breaker? The one thing you claimed you would never become?”  
Under the force of her aura and will along with whatever geas his oath had placed into the ring his body began to respond and slowly swallow the blood she gave him and she kept giving until Knight nodded that it was enough.  
“He will need rest now, and you will have to feed him more of your blood before he is able to sustain himself again.”  
“Okay...”  
Her tone was solemn as she gently placed Takeshi's head down on the pillow and curled up next to him, gently brushing away a stray lock of hair before settling down to just running her fingers through his hair.  


“You truly do love him.”  
She startled slightly at Knight's soft words.  
“I do, more than anything. If I lost him... I don't think I could go on...”  
She curled closer into Takeshi's side and sensing her mood even in his current state he moved slightly, putting his arm around her and tucking her head under his chin.  
“But you would, simply because it's what he would want you to do.”  
“I would try with everything I have.”  
She agreed with a soft smile.  


A few minutes later Takeshi's aura began to fluctuate wildly and it became obvious to Knight that he was instinctively trying to resume his normal habit of always keeping an eye on everything around him but didn't have the power to do so.  
“He needs to relax and stop trying to use his abilities, move over, I will try to make him stop.”  
Emelie looked at Knight with wide eyes as he moved to lay down next to them on the bed and shifted both of them around slightly, placing Takeshi between them, fitting closely against his larger frame and once Emelie's wing draped across them he allowed his aura to flow around them all.  
“Come on, every good Alpha knows to stand back and allow a Beta to keep watch sometimes. You have my word, I won't allow anything to happen to you or the girls. But you need to rest. Let me act as your beta until you have your strength back.”  
There was resistance in his aura and when Takeshi opened his eyes to look at him Knight though he would fully fight him.  
“Please, be careful with Em's wings.”  
The mumbled plea, cautioning him to be mindful of Emelie's wings, made Knight nod and smile softly as he watched Takeshi closing his eyes again and falling into a deep sleep.  


Once he was sure Takeshi was sleeping he turned his attention to Emelie.  
“Lilim, I am aware that you are accustomed to feeding daily and he will not be able to feed you until he is fully recovered, will you manage until then?”  
He would take his promise very seriously, and see to the well being of Takeshi's _Pack_ to the best of his ability.  
“I will be fine for a few weeks unless I strain myself, the daily feedings is mostly a convenience, it helps me keep my seduction on a barely noticeable level, the longer it's been since I fed, the stronger and harder to control it becomes.”  
She quickly assured him she would be fine for a while.  
“And please stop calling me Lilim, I know you do it out of respect, but my name is Emelie, my friends and family call me Em, and I would like to believe I am at least a friend? Be warned though, only the twins get away with calling me Emmy.”  
Knight shook his head for a moment before promising he would try to remember to use her name.  


“We will need to find some place where we can relax, and hunt, you will need a lot of meat to make sure you have blood to spare.”  
Knight would have preferred if she fed from him, but so far she had shown no interest in doing so, quite the opposite, even though she accepted his teasing she had been quite clear about rejecting the idea of accepting his teasing invitations.  
“Okay, I'll make sure to drive us to a suitable place tomorrow. But right now I just want to rest a bit.”  
“You do that, I will keep an eye on both of you and wake you when it's time to give him more blood.”  
“Thanks...”  
Knight just settled down and watched Takeshi and Emelie sleep, he would do what he could to make sure Takeshi recovered, he just wished he could do it without Emelie having to bleed.  
But he was too weak for that, even if he had been at full strength, so he cursed silently at himself, cursing that his weakness forced a lilim to bleed in his place.  
“I'm so sorry Lilim, please forgive my weakness.”  
No one heard his whispered words though.  


Watching the young pair sleep Knight found himself considering what he had just told Takeshi about acting as his beta and he found that he actually wanted it, beyond just a temporary thing.  
Despite being an alpha himself, older, and still very much in his prime, Knight found himself wanting to stay by their side, but without any real desire to place himself above Takeshi, and the knowledge that he wanted to become their beta wasn't easy to accept.  
But deep down he knew that neither of them would ever submit to him beyond bowing to his experience and knowledge of things demonic, and accepting his council, so the only way he would be able to stay by their side would be as their beta.  


Takeshi was displaying very strong alpha characteristics, and Knight had no doubt that Emelie would prove to be just a strong an alpha once her instincts and powers were fully awakened with her first true heat.  
As she was now she was in a limbo of sorts, while technically an adult, awakened to her true nature, she was still sealed, most of her powers hidden from her, and they would remain so until Lilith herself unsealed her.  
Until after her presentation she would remain in an eternal adolescence of sorts, unable to call on her full powers, unable to enter a true heat, and thus unable to rise to her full instincts, and unable to bear offspring.  


Knight was certain that the pair sleeping under his watchful eye would one day become a mated pair, their deep love was evident, even though Takeshi didn't speak of his feelings his actions spoke just as loud as any words.  
Emelie didn't mention it much either, but that seemed to mostly be because Takeshi was uncomfortable with it, so she would simply settle for letting him know she understood, and felt the same, whenever he got emotional.  
And such an alpha pair would make a strong foundation to build a truly powerful, and happy, pack on.  
With a sigh Knight reached over to Takeshi and gently brushed away the stray lock that had once again fallen across the sleeping man's face and he shook his head slightly when Takeshi moved slightly and leaned into the touch.  


Knight had quickly found that Takeshi was a very affectionate person, despite his obvious issues with actually putting his feelings into words, instead his communication of his feelings was very tactile.  
Knight had found himself at the receiving end of Takeshi's vibrant kisses more than once, most of the time Takeshi would pull him down to his level, or simply jump up, and kiss him on the forehead, but a few times he had found himself kissed square on the mouth when Takeshi was extra emotional.  
Those occasions had him curious though, just how would it feel to be kissed by the young alpha in a carnal way, what would he taste like with lust on his lips.  
Knight cursed softly and squirmed a bit, that last line of thought had resulted in him sporting a rather uncomfortable erection, he found himself desiring both of them rather strongly, and he knew he wouldn't be able to be with either of them, at least not without a fight.  


With Takeshi both of them would want to be the dominant one, the one to claim the other, and that would lead to them fighting, and Emelie was Takeshi's, to make any serious proposition to her would be the same as challenging Takeshi.  
And she was far too innocent, too inexperienced for the final option, which was for him and Takeshi to share her, to let her be the bridge between them, to let them be intimate without actually engaging each other.  
But Knight was fairly content with things the way they were, after the first few nights when he had sought them out for emotional support they had readily invited him to keep sharing their bed.  
They had explained that back home they would rarely sleep in their own room, instead they would sleep in a den of sorts, and often be joined by one, or several, of those whom they shared their home with.  
Knight smiled as he recalled the way Emelie had blushed and spluttered when Takeshi bluntly stated that their own room was just for sex.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Stealing From The Louvre_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


Takeshi had been sleeping for about an hour when his aura began to stir, and when he began to toss and turn it roused Emelie from her light sleep, looking at Knight she found that he was also awake, and alert.  
Before she had a chance to ask him if she should give Takeshi more of her blood he just nodded.  
She carefully sat up and moved Takeshi's head into her lap and prepared to use her power if he resisted, slicing into her wrist she carefully placed it against his mouth, but when he began to turn away Knight spoke up before she had a chance to use her power.  
“Drink alpha, it will keep you alive until your own power has recovered enough to be able to sustain you again.”  
After a while Takeshi stopped trying to turn away and allowed her to feed him her blood and once again he almost instantly fell asleep after ingesting it.  
“He should sleep for about 2 to 3 hours, maybe less. And each time he begins to wake we need to have him take your blood, after a few times he should begin to rest longer periods, but even if he does not wake on his own we should not allow for more than five hours between feedings.”  
“Okay, I really hope he stops fighting it though.”  
Emelie was clearly distraught by the fact that Takeshi was trying to resist the very thing that was keeping him alive.  


“He is an alpha, and you are a part of his pack, hurting you in any way goes against all his instincts. I'm sure you have noticed before that the scent or sight of your blood will set him off?”  
“Yeah, I have. That's the main reason I'm on blockers.”  
“Blockers?”  
Knight's confusion was tangible.  
“It's a contraceptive that suppresses the female cycle, though mine is a bit special to be able to affect me. After my change we found that I still had remnants of my human cycle, which was driving us both quite nuts.”  
“Ah, I see. So you were entering a pseudo heat once every moon?”  
“Mhm, between the scent of my blood, my already high sex drive going into overdrive, and losing control over my seduction it was a complete mess so we agreed that suppressing my cycle would be for the best.”  
“Quite understandable.”  
Knight was fighting to suppress his laughter, and the crooked glare she was sending him was not helping, then suddenly she broke into brilliant laughter which made him lose his battle as well.  
“Thanks, I really needed that.”  
Emelie thanked him softly between bouts of giggles.  
“You're welcome little Lilim. And please, don't worry so much, deep down he knows your blood is helping. I'm sure he will be able to overcome his instinctive reaction to your blood quite fast.”  
“Asshole...”  
She grumbled and slapped his arm at the intentional use of _Lilim_ rather than her name.  


The first few times Takeshi barely slept more than an hour before waking, but as Knight had predicted it only took two more feedings before he stopped trying to turn away and simply took what was offered.  
“Have you thought about where to go tomorrow?”  
Not wanting to upset Emelie Knight waited until Takeshi was sleeping again and kept his tone light.  
“Not really, but for some reason I'm feeling drawn east so I will just trust that feeling.”  
“You have every bit as fine instincts as that alpha of your, if they tell you east, then east we should go.”  
“Thanks, Take has taught me that I should trust my instincts.”  
“You should. He has taught you well, remarkably so, for not being a demon himself.”  
“Well, he was raised by youkai, Japanese demons, so he has been taught to trust his own instincts. Besides, in a way he is at least part demon.”  
Her words made Knight nod and hum while nudging her to lay down and rest some more, especially since she would be driving in the morning.  


It was the 10th time Takeshi woke up and since it was morning Knight got up from the bed and headed toward the door.  
“I will wake the girls and make sure we get some breakfast, you just rest.”  
“I will, thanks.”  
Knight could feel Emelie's aura flare slightly as she disabled the barriers around the girls' room and he gave the door a soft knock before peeking inside.  
“Come on ladies, time to wake up.”  
There was some grumblings and complaints, but after a while two faces peeked up over the covers.  
“Where are Mom and Dad?”  
“They are still in bed. Now, they are really tired, so how about you help me make breakfast for them so they can keep resting?”  
“Okay!”  
Both of them instantly agreed and less than 20 minutes later they joined Knight in the small kitchen, and together they managed to make a nice breakfast.  


“Mommy? Daddy?”  
The twins were clearly worried when they peeked into the master bedroom with the trays of food only to find both Takeshi and Emelie sleeping, but Knight managed to usher them out before asking Emelie, who had only been pretending to sleep, to wake Takeshi.  
“He might not be able to eat much regular food, but we should try to get him to eat some at least, it will reduce the risk of complications from ingesting all that blood.”  
“Okay, give me a moment.”  


When she called them back in Takeshi was half sitting, propped up with a pile of pillows and he was barely awake.  
“What's wrong with Daddy!?”  
The distraught questions made Takeshi stir a bit, but Emelie gently pushed him back into the bedding.  
“Take used too much energy yesterday so his _batteries_ are completely empty and it will take him a while to recharge them.”  
“Oh, okay.”  
“Don't worry Daddy, we will do extra chores so you can rest!”  
Their concern spiked again when he didn't answer, but Emelie thanked them in his stead.  
“Why don't you pick some of his favorites and see if he has the energy to eat a bit?”  
She was hoping that his instinctive urge to soothe the twins would help make him eat, and much to her relief if was working and by the time breakfast was done they had managed to get him to eat a bowl of miso soup, a bowl of rice with nattō and a few small bowls with pickled vegetables.  


“Come on girls, get in the truck and I will join you in a few minutes.”  
“What about Daddy?”  
“Knight will stay with him in the trailer and keep him safe so he can sleep.”  
“Okay...”  
They were hesitant, but did as they were told and once they had left Emelie quickly gave Takeshi a bit more blood before tucking him back in bed.  
“You watch over him!”  
Emelie's aura was brimming with power and her wings flared slightly and the dominant display made Knight bow down and bare his neck to her, it was so much easier for him to submit to her, a lilim, than it was to submit to Takeshi.  
“I will, I promise.”  
A gentle tap on his shoulder from her wing acknowledged his promise before she spun around and hurried to join the twins in the tractor.  


The moment the trailer began to move Takeshi stirred but his unfocused aura made it quite obvious he was barely aware.  
“Easy. Keep sleeping, your pack is safe, you are safe. Em is taking us to a place where you can rest and recover. I will do everything in my power to keep you all safe.”  
When Takeshi tried to get out of the bed Knight wrapped his arms around him and tucked him under his chin, much the same way Takeshi would often to with Emelie and the twins.  
The action earned him a bit of struggle and a low growl, but the resistance didn't do Takeshi any good as he simply didn't have any energy to fight with and Knight did possess demonic strength.  
“Easy now you stubborn little.... Don't waste that precious energy your little lilim has bled to give you.”  
The scolding words seemed to make it through to whatever part of Takeshi's mind was still awake and the struggle ceased instantly, and moments later he was nuzzling the underside of Knight's jaw with an apologetic whine.  
There was a mix of confusion and fear in Takeshi's aura that instantly made Knight's aura soften and he gave his young host a soft kiss on the forehead before tucking him back in and tightening his hold on him a bit.  
“Ssh, you are strong, and stubborn like few, you **will** make it. Not for yourself, but for your pack, your loved ones, and to honor your oaths.”  


Drained by the struggle Takeshi quickly fell back to sleep, and when they stopped an hour later and Emelie came back to give him some blood he didn't cause any fuss, and fell back to sleep instantly.  
“I think I know where my instincts are taking us, and we are about halfway there.”  
She had been driving on instinct, heading east toward Troyes and the lakes of **_Forêt d'Orient_** and as they came closer she became increasingly confident that the beautiful forest park was their goal.  
“Good, being here while we travel is making him restless.”  
Knight was running his hand through Takeshi's hair and down his back as it seemed to soothe him and keep him sleeping and Emelie cooed at the way Takeshi snuggled into his arms.  
Leaning over Knight she gave Takeshi a quick peck before heading toward the door.  
“I'll come by again when we reach the park management.”  
“Okay.”  
Knight nodded somewhat distractedly, most of his attention focused on Takeshi, on keeping him calm and asleep.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Stealing From The Louvre_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


Stopping at the park management center Emelie quickly dropped by to give Takeshi some blood before heading to the office with the twins.  
Making sure to get the male clerk she made liberal use of her seduction, and the credit card Takeshi had given her, to secure all the permits needed to stay two months by one of the small restricted access lakes.  
She made sure to secure all the permits needed for hunting and fishing as well as foraging as fresh food would help Takeshi's recovery, and she didn't want to have to go shopping for food.  


The lake where they would be staying was tiny, little more than a pond, but it was deep and it was the home of several species of game fish and the surrounding area was rich in game.  
The red deer was restricted, but in accordance with the wildlife and habitat preservation plans the abundant wild boar and feral pigs were currently considered a destructive species and for the past few years anyone with a hunting permit could take as many as they wanted in an attempt to reduce the population.  
It wasn't all that easy to navigate the narrow roads with their large rig, but once she reached the small lake there was a nicely sized sand and gravel area where they would be able to set up the trailers and have the deck face the lake for a beautiful view of the lake.  
Based on the compass on the GPS map they would even have the pleasure of the sun setting over the lake.  


“Girls, why don't you go fetch Knight so he can help me with the trailers while you keep an eye on Take?”  
“Okay!”  
“Remember, he needs to rest, so just watch, don't wake him. And if he does wake up try to get him to sleep again.”  
“We know.”  
“We will make sure he behaves.”  
“That's good.”  
Emelie had given Takeshi some blood less than an hour ago so he should sleep until they were done setting up camp, she watched the girls hurry to the trailer and sighed once they were out of sight,  
The trauma from their time with Roberts was still obvious in the way they would usually act much younger than they were, but the fact that did act their true age, even mature for their age, when needed did give her hope that they would make a full recovery.  


“Mr Knight, Mommy wants you to help her set up the trailers. We will keep an eye on Dad.”  
“Okay.”  
Knight shifted his position slightly to make room for them, but his moving disrupted Takeshi's sleep a bit.  
“Come here, if one of you lies down on each side of him he should stay put.”  
They quickly scurried onto the big bed and set out to trap Takeshi between them.  
“If you run your hands through his hair and down his back like this it calms him down.”  
Knight showed them how he had been stroking Takeshi's hair and they quickly did as suggested, though being much smaller than Knight they quickly ended up with Sarah tucked under Takeshi's chin while Maria ran her hands down his back.  
But since it did work to calm him down it didn't really matter so Knight gave them one last look before going out to help Emelie.  


“This place, it has a peculiar energy to it.”  
Knight had been feeling the oddly soothing and revitalizing feel of the area while they worked.  
“It feels just like the Sanctuary of the Mother, I think that's why I was drawn here, this energy should help him heal.”  
“The Mother?”  
Knight recalled them mentioning a mother before, but they hadn't given much details, and quite frankly, he hadn't really been himself at the time so he didn't remember all that much.  
“The entity that saved Take and changed him, she refers to herself as _The Mother_ but from what we have heard from others, and what She has hinted at herself she is the Avatar of Life.”  
Knight interrupted her to question her exact phrasing.  
“Are you sure they said **The** Avatar of Life, not **An** Avatar of Life?”  
“Yes. Why? Does that matter?”  
“Very much so. When referring to Lesser or Greater Avatars you would refer to them as **An** Avatar, since they are just one of several, but for the Primes, those who are one of a kind, akin to gods, you would use **The** Avatar.”  
Emelie just nodded and tossed a few pillows into the corner of the small deck that had been folded out from underneath the trailer.  
“I am sure though that you are correct about these energies being able to aid his recovery, you choose this place well, little _Lilim_.”  
Emelie just hissed at him and slapped his arm with her tail for not using her name.  


 


	6. Recovery

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Recovery_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Girls, why don't you go see if you can find the fishing-rods while Knight and I help Take?”  
Emelie's suggestion wasn't really a question though and the twins quickly nodded and headed for the pup trailer.  
Once they were out of the room Emelie fed Takeshi some blood and as before he quickly went back to sleep.  
“Would you pick him up and carry him out on the deck please? The fresh air will do him good.”  
“Of course.”  
While Knight picked the sleeping man out of the bed and carried him outside Emelie grabbed a few of the spare comforters to make sure Takeshi would have a nice and comfy den to nest in.

“Mom, we found the fishing gear!”  
“Girls, keep your voices down please.”  
Emelie nodded toward the pile of pillows and bedding where Takeshi was sleeping.  
“Oh, sorry.”  
“It's okay, but please, try to remember.”  
“We will.”  
They promised solemnly.  
“Good. I see you found the nets and traps as well, maybe we will get lucky and catch some crawfish or freshwater crabs.”  
The guide had mentioned that the small lake was home to both of the crustaceans as well as a few edible freshwater mollusks.  
“Why don't you take Knight with you and go catch some bait fish and set the traps?”  
“Okay!”  
The pair ran down toward the lake and placed the tackle box and rods down before running back to the trailer to make some simple dough bait.  
“I can show you how to use the modern reel rods later if you want to, but for now the simple rods that the girls use as well as the nets and traps should be familiar.”  
“I'm sure I'll be able to find a way to be useful while making sure they don't drown themselves in their eagerness to be of assistance.”  
Knight teased lightly before heading into the trailer and scooping up Maria to have her show him where the nets and traps were kept so he could help carry them down to the water.  
Emelie just shook her head at Knight's teasing, reality was that she would be relying a lot on him while Takeshi recovered since she didn't have the experience in living of the land that they did.

“You fear for him.”  
Emelie startled rather badly when the sylph spoke up, the elemental spirit had kept to her self so Emelie had almost forgotten about her and her children.  
“Yeah, I do. He is so weak.”  
The sylph flitted over and landed on one of the pillows next to Emelie.  
“I may not be able to do much while am like this. But I will do what I can.”  
She gave the pendant around her neck a frustrated tug which made the enchanted jewel zap her with power that almost sent her knees.  
“Please, stop doing that, you're hurting yourself.”  
Emelie outright begged the sylph to stop pulling at the pendant.

Takeshi and Emelie had both been furious when they learned about the meaning, and purpose, of the jeweled necklace around the sylphs neck.  
In essence it was a slave collar, marking her as the property of the Forest Queen, the power in it prevented her from using her true power, and sealed her in the tiny form she was currently in, rendering her unable to take her power form, which was human sized.

“You don't need your power to help. You can still help watch over him, and help keep him calm.”  
Emelie moved slightly before indicating for the sylph to come closer.  
“Come here.”  
There was hesitance in her movements, but she did do as asked.  
“Touch his hand, feel how he reacts.”  
Emelie smiled in amusement as the sylph carefully reached out to touch a hand that was as large as she was, but the moment she placed her hand against Takeshi's skin he moved slightly before settling down with a pleased sigh.  
“See, he's not so bad when he's sleeping.”  
Emelie teased lightly as she settled down to watch over them, while occasionally sending a glance toward the water as well where Knight and the twins were trying to catch dinner.  
“No, he's not.”  
Despite her words the sylph let go of Takeshi's hand and flitted over to one of the crossbeams that held up the small roof over the deck in front of the trailer where she settled down, safely our of reach.

“Mommy look!”  
Emelie had just finished giving Takeshi some more blood when she heard Sarah's eager calls as the girl walked up to the trailers, wobbling precariously as she tried to carry the tub with fish without spilling the water, she did remember to keep her voice down though.  
_“Åh, Gädda och Öring!”  
_Emelie's happy exclamation in Swedish made Sarah tilt her head to the side in confusion.  
“Pike and Trout, excellent catches. They will make a fine dinner.”  
“Oh.”  
“Why don't you help the sylph watch over Takeshi while I prepare these?”  
“Okay.”  
Sarah quickly crawled into the bedding and curled up into Takeshi chest and when he stirred slightly to pull her closer she began running her hand through his hair while softly singing one of the lullabies he used to sing to them.  
The sylph stayed on her perch, but she did pay extra attention to what was happening below.

Emelie took the tub with the still living fish and carried to the table that was set up next to the grill and made quick work of gutting them.  
She was especially happy with the pike, it was just the right size to make a great grilled pike, and the trouts were nice fish as well.  
She had just gutted the pike when Maria came up to see what was keeping Sarah, and bring the bucket of live bait fish for their serpent sisters.  
“Ah, Maria, there you are. Do you want to help your sister keep an eye on Take, or go with Knight and find some fresh juniper for me?”  
There was a moment of hesitance before Maria ran over to Knight and begged him to show her how to find the best juniper for adding flavor to the fish.  
“Put on some proper shoes and pants first. Those clothes are not suitable for walking in the forest.”  
Knight quickly agreed, but cautioned her that a sundress and sandals were not suitable for their task.  
“Okay!”  
Maria's happy chirp was half lost as she hurried into the trailer to do as asked.  
“How would you like your juniper?”  
“Some berries, some needles or fine branches, and if there is some suitable thicker branches for smoke chips it's welcome, but don't damage the plants to get it, they are still somewhat rare.”  
“As you wish _Lady Lilim_.”  
Knight laughed and quickly ducked to avoid getting hit in the face with a pike head.  
“Scram you old oaf!”  
He just kept laughing as he scooped Maria up and placed her on his shoulder before walking toward the edge of the woods.

When Knight and Maria returned with the requested juniper Emelie had grown a selection of herbs as well as lemons using the sanctuary planter and quickly began stuffing the fish before placing them on the grill along with a selection of vegetables.  
Though, the vegetables were mostly for the twins who, being human, needed them for a balanced nutrition.  
“Come, time for some food.”  
Emelie gently shook Takeshi to wake him, and once again she could feel that while his body responded and ate the offered food his mind wasn't really there, and it was quite clear that the twins could sense it as well.  
“It's okay girls, your alpha is merely sleepwalking in a way. His mind, his spirit, needs to rest, but his body needs food, so as a compromise just his body wakes up so he can eat, while his spirit keeps sleeping.”  
Knight tried to explain what was happening, hoping that understanding would help soothe their concern and the twins did settle down a bit, they were still vigilant though, but that was a good trait.

“Mommy, do you think daddy is dreaming?”  
The girls had just said their good nights when Maria paused and looked at Takeshi's sleeping form.  
“I don't know sweetie. But he is sleeping calmly so I don't think he is having any bad dreams at least.”  
“Okay...”

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Recovery_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

Takeshi Kiryu wasn't dreaming, quite the opposite, within his mind he was wide awake, locked away within the cage of the Beast he was confused, and scared.  
He remembered asking asking Emelie to raise the barrier around the twins room, and he remembered trying to shift, then everything went dark.  
The next thing he could remember was waking up within his own mindscape, sealed in the mirror annex together with the Beast, unable to see or hear what was happening outside, and when he tried to get up to leave the annex the Beast had moved to keep him down, and he had no strength to resist it with.  
_**“Be still you fool lest you call death upon us both.”**_  
There was an edge of something desperate in the Beast's voice that made Takeshi still and look at it.  
_“What's going on?”_  
**_“What you did was beyond foolish. It has weakened us to the brink of death. Had our precious co-alpha not been Lilim we would have been doomed to walk the afterlife.”_**

Realizing there was real fear in the voice of the Beast Takeshi instantly stilled, and the Beast backed off slightly, but not entirely, one of the large paws was still resting on his chest, making it perfectly clear it had no intention of allowing Takeshi to move.  
_**“Be still, we need to conserve energy. Her blood sustains us, but as much power as her blood holds it won't last long if we waste energy struggling.”**_  
It was rare for the Beast to speak so freely and combined with obvious upset tone it made Takeshi pause and really listen.  
_“Fine, I will stay. But please, what happened? I remember I was about to shift and expel the items from the vault, then it's all black.”_  
_**”We nearly died that's what!”**_  
The Beast launched into it's own version of reading Takeshi the riot act, but when it was finally done it took a few deep breaths.  
_“I know we couldn't just leave that vault as it was, but what you chose was the most dangerous path of all...”_  
With a soft whine the Beast began licking at Takeshi's jaw.  
_“We almost died...”_

Takeshi gently tweaked the large, black, ears as a gesture of acceptance, and understanding, then a thought crossed his mind.  
_“Tell me Beast, are you my youma?”_  
The Beast snorted at him, clearly amused.  
_“I may be a link to your instincts, but I am no youma. Merely a fragment of a shadow, changed and given life by the power of the Mother.”_  
Takeshi huffed at the slightly teasing tone.  
_“Then, are you a greater shadow as your power suggests, or a lesser shadow as your form suggests?”_  
_“In that sense I am much like you, something different, something far stronger than I should be.”_  
The Beast continued to talk about itself explaining many things that Takeshi had been wondering about, but he had a feeling it only did it to keep him from resisting.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Recovery_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“I would like to go hunt for something a bit more substantial, but I could use a proper weapon as my steed isn't really much of a forest hunter.”  
With the girls in bed and Takeshi freshly _medicated_ Knight approached Emelie about some more serious hunting.  
The past few days he had been teaching the twins about snaring birds and small game, which meant their food had consisted mostly of hare and squirrels, and a few partridges and a pheasant.  
Not that he minded those prey, quite the contrary, the plump little birds were a cherished treat, but he felt a craving for prey that offered more than bite sized morsels.  
“We have both bows and crossbows, whichever you prefer. I'd recommend grabbing one of the reverse crossbows, even Take's hunting bow is probably a bit short for you. And the _Ky_ _ū_ _d_ _ō_ bows are not suited for hunting.”  
“Reverse crossbow? Kyūdō?”  
“Let me start with the second question, Kyūdō is traditional form of Japanese archery, but it's more of a spiritual thing nowadays, the extremely long bows would be impractical for hunting.”  
“And the crossbow?”  
“Mhm, they are really great, but a bit hard to explain. Keep an eye on him please and I'll go fetch his and you can have a look.”  
“Of course.”

Knight was eagerly awaiting Emelie's return, curious about what she had called a reverse crossbow, he had seen some of the advancements made in weapons and they had been mindboggling.  
A few minutes later she came carrying a fairly large case in the same odd material as the boxes they had in the smaller vehicle.  
“Ready for some show and tell?”  
“Ready and eager.”  
He watched with avid curiosity as she took a key and unlocked a few hidden locks before undoing the latches that kept the case closed.  
“What a peculiar design. It looks like it's been assembled backwards, and what are those wheels?”  
“Yeah, looks odd doesn't it. That's why they call it a reverse draw. And those wheels are part of a design called a compound bow, they acts as pulleys, making it easier to draw a much heavier, stronger, bow.”  
“That's brilliant.”  
“This one was made for Take by Doufaran, a demon smith, so it's quite a bit more powerful than a normal crossbow of this design.”  
It was larger than normal to match Takeshi's size, and made with Doufaran's own take on modern nano-composite materials it was light, durable, and had a draw weight that was double that of the crossbows it was based on.  
All together, it made for an impressively powerful weapon.  
“I see. Will you teach me how to use it?”  
“Of course. You remember where the practice targets are?”  
“I do.”  
“Go set them them up over there.”  
She indicated to an area by the water that had a bank behind it that would help act as a catch for the bolts.

“It's safe to assume you have shot regular crossbows before, right?”  
“I have.”  
“Then this should all be pretty familiar.”  
She figured the easiest way to teach him about the unfamiliar design would be to just show him.  
“Place the bow against the ground, put your foot firmly in the stirrup, then take this rope, put it over like this, then hook these onto the string and pull up in the handles until you hear it click into place.”  
Knight just nodded silently while she picked one of the fieldtipped arrows from the rack.  
“Take the arrow and slide it into the slot with the silver vane down, make sure it clicks into position properly, aim, switch the safety off and pull the trigger.”  
She aimed for the target that Knight had set up and pulled the trigger.  
The brilliant red streak of the arrow made Knight startle slightly as he had not been prepared for the illuminated nock of the arrow.  
“A glowing arrow, now that is really useful.”  
“Mhm. Now you try.”  
It took Knight a few tries to get the hang of the cocking rope, but once he did he had no problems shooting the modern crossbow.

“You turn off the light by pressing it like this.”  
She showed him how to deactivate the illuminated nocks before turning on the small electric heater hidden in the back plate of the target that would make it light up on thermal vision.  
“Time to do it again, but this time with broad heads and the thermal sight.”  
They spent most of the night getting Knight up to date on his crossbow skills and shortly before dawn he headed out to see if he could fell himself one of the feral pigs that liked to forage at the edges of the small clearings in the forest around them.

Emelie was just about to go wake up the twins when Knight returned dragging a big, fat, sow on a makeshift travois, and as he got closer she noticed he had managed to get several of the _squeakers_ , suckling pigs, as well, which would be a treat to roast whole.  
There was something about the way Knight bowed his head as he approached that told Emelie that his actions had a ritual meaning so she settled back to see what he would do.  
She watched in silence as he dragged the sow in front of her and laid out the piglets in a row before kneeling down next to his prey, waiting for her to acknowledge him, and his offering.  
She remained silent as she rose and walked around him, as if inspecting the quality, and worth, of his prey, and him.  
Walking back around him she voiced a pleased hum before reaching out with her tail and tilting his head up.  
“You have done well, Hunter. Your prey pleases me, it will sate the hunger of my pack.”  
There was a flash of surprise in Knight's eyes before he broke into a smile.  
“Thank you Alpha.”  
“Oh, don't look so surprised. Take may not know all that much about other demons, but he does know a lot about youkai, and to present prey to the alpha is something youkai do as well.”  
Emelie teased him lightly.  
“Now, why don't you prepare one of those sucklings to be roasted whole while I go wake the girls.”  
“As you wish Alpha.”  
Before he had time to react Knight found himself flat on his back courtesy of Emelie's tail.  
“What have I said about how to address me?”  
“Sorry Em, you know I mean no disrespect.”  
“I know.”  
She laughed as she left him to go wake the twins.  
“You are fast when you wish to be.”  
Knight called after her in praise, he had not seen her tail move.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Recovery_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

Emelie spent most of the days watching over Takeshi while Knight took care of the twins, teaching them to hunt, to forage, to live of what the land had to offer.  
He taught them how make traps for fish and game out of the materials the forest had to offer, teaching them how to find drinkable water and shelter.  
Emelie would join them from time to time while the Sylph kept watch over Takeshi but she never strayed far.  
They had been there for a week when they noticed the first change in Takeshi's condition other than his aura slowly becoming more stable, he began to hold on to Emelie's arm while she fed him her blood and Knight told her it was a good sign, it showed that he was aware that the blood was helping him.  
The increasing strength of his grip was also a good sign and even though Emelie complained that she could do without the claw marks she was relieved that he was finally showing some improvement.

It was in the middle of the second week when Knight was brought from his usual state of half-sleep by a startled yelp from Emelie and when he looked at her she had the most peculiar posture and expression.  
Her posture was rigid, completely frozen and her eyes wide with a mix of shock and embarrassment that made him very curious as to what could have caused it and once Takeshi let go of her arm and returned to his healing sleep Knight couldn't resist asking her what made her look like an embarrassed version of a deer caught in the headlights.  
“He... He...”  
She was spluttering and quickly turning beet reed.  
“He what?”  
Knight encouraged her to tell him with a teasing tone.  
“He **bit** me!”  
Knight couldn't help laughing at the mixed emotions in her voice before asking her to elaborate as anything Takeshi did could be relevant to his recovery.

“Well, lately he has been taking a lot more of my blood.”  
Knight nodded and explained to her that it was perfectly normal, as he recovered he was able to withstand larger amounts of her blood without having adverse reactions to it.  
“But there has been a slight problem, I heal too fast so the cuts I make have healed over before I have been able to give him enough blood so I have to make a second cut. Before he would just let go of my arm and let me cut and then grab hold again when I placed the cut back by his mouth.”  
Once again Knight nodded, but didn't say anything more, he had already explained that Takeshi was running mostly on instincts at the moment and had very little awareness of what was happening around him.  
“But this time when the cut sealed he refused to let go and instead he bit me, hard! Though, it's odd, it didn't hurt at all, it...”  
Her voice trailed of and Knight began to understand her reaction.  
“If felt good, didn't it? And not just in the way pain and pleasure sometimes blends when you copulate, but in a far more intense way?”

He had noticed that both Emelie and Takeshi made liberal use of both fangs and claws during their encounters and that they made use of quite a bit of their strength, sometimes getting surprisingly rough with each other, but they both seemed to enjoy the intensity and slight edge of pain.  
Emelie blushed a vivid scarlet as Knight's words reminded her of his habit of settling down to watch, rather than politely walk away if he came across them during one of their frequent romps.  
But while it did embarrass her afterwards it never bothered her while he did it, and she wasn't really angry at him for it.  
Somehow he had this air of an innocent curiosity about him as he watched, and while his enjoyment was obvious, it was more of an honest appreciation and lacked that lecherous edge that would have made her uncomfortable and upset.  
“It did.”  
She admitted after a while.  
“I think I might have an idea what is going on, but I won't be able to tell for sure until next time he feeds. I want you to wait for me then and not begin to give him your blood until I say so.”

Fortunately the next _feeding_ was after the girls had been sent to bed but Emelie was still tense when Knight came to sit next to her.  
He instructed her to offer her arm to Takeshi without cutting it first to see how he would react.  
Takeshi instantly grasped her arm and brought her wrist close to his face, carefully taking in the scent and tasting her skin but while he made several motions as if to bite her he didn't and he seemed to almost struggle not to.  
Knight recalled how she would normally speak to Takeshi, encouraging, soothing him, telling him to drink deeply so he may recover faster.  
_“Tell him it's okay, tell him he may take your blood.”  
_Knight instructed her silently.

The moment she did as asked she could feel a sigh of relief being breathed against her skin as Takeshi slowly bit down on the inside of her wrist and she was amazed that there was no pain at all as his fangs sank into her flesh, fangs that she noted looked longer and more slender than they normally did.  
Then she gasped as an almost burning sensation washed through her, all her senses suddenly overwhelmed by pleasure and the knowing smirk on Knights face told her he had known, or at least suspected, that it would happen.  
“It would seem that in order to facilitate his recovery he has taken on a few vampiric traits. Slender fangs that can cut through flesh without tearing it, causing minimal damage and pain. Those fangs probably have groves on the back to prevent them from plugging the wound, allowing him to drink freely.”  
“But how?”  
Emelie was growing increasingly confused.  
“Blood as powerful as yours has the ability to change weaker creatures. Normally he is stronger than you you, but in his weakened state your blood was able to affect him. His soul is still extremely powerful though, it would seem it allowed him to take just the fragment of your power that would benefit him the most, and make it his own.”

He told her that Takeshi's body had probably adapted to be able to more efficiently draw energy from the blood, and that based on her reaction to the bite he had at least some of the vampiric hunting abilities.  
He explained that most vampiric creatures, and that included Succubi and Incubi had various seductive abilities to lure their prey to a secluded location where they could safely feed.  
But several also had abilities that made the process of feeding highly pleasurable, making their victim unable to feel their bite, or even remember them as their minds would be in a lust-induced haze.  
As for the hesitance to bite Knight explained that it was common among the vampiric creatures of higher birth to follow a code of honor, a code that forbids them to take blood that has not been offered to them willingly, and usually, knowing what they are.  
The exception would be the blood of an enemy.  
That he didn't seem to have any issues biting her before was probably because she was already giving him her blood at the time combined with her soothing words telling him to drink and recover.  
Knight watched as Takeshi clung to Emelie's arm, drinking his fill and it was with curiosity he noted that when Takeshi withdrew his fangs he carefully healed the wounds before letting go of her and going back to the deep, healing sleep that only the need to feed seemed to be able to bring him out from.  
He watched silently as Emelie extracted herself from the bed and with a gentle whisper she called the Sylph to watch over Takeshi, and when she stepped outside Knight followed her.

“If he is gaining vampiric powers, could he also come to suffer vampiric weaknesses?”  
There was concern in her voice as she questioned him.  
“Such as?”  
Knight was slightly confused about her questions as the vampirics he knew of had no real weaknesses, at least none that would warrant such concern.  
“There is much lore, many legends about vampires. They have long been a fascination of mankind. Though, honestly, I don't know how much is truth and how much is just silly superstitions.”  
“Well then, tell me of these legends and I might be able to aid you in learning what is truth and what is not.”  
He was curious to learn what kind of tales had been spun since his days.  
“Some claim they are unable to cross flowing waters, others say they will perish if they do not sleep within the confines of a casket and graveyard soil. Some say they cannot enter a home uninvited, that setting foot on hallowed ground would burn them to ash”  
While she spoke she prepared a meal so that she could recover some of the energy she spent in replenishing her blood.  
“But the more common lore speaks of silver being deadly to them, of garlic being a poison that can either deter them, or kill them. Of a simple cross holding the power to turn them away, to burn their flesh upon touch, even killing them according to some. But nearly all agree that there are three sure ways to kill a vampire, a wooden stake to the heart, beheading, and exposure to sunlight which would turn them to ash.”

Knight couldn't help laughing when she was done, it was almost silly the stories that had been created, but his laughter faded as she gave him a rather upset look.  
“While there is some truth to those legends they are greatly exaggerated. Flowing water can be blessed to deny any creature of demonic origin passage without permission, the same can be done to a home so that none of power may enter uninvited. But those blessings takes a lot of power to create and maintain.”  
He continued to pick apart her worries.  
“Caskets and graveyard soil, maybe if they were truly undead, mindless zombies. They can walk on hallowed ground, but the highborn will not do so uninvited out of respect. Also some places like temples and churches will carry blessings to prevent them from entering.”  
Accepting the tray of bread, butter, cheese and cold cut meats he continued.  
“Garlic and other strong smelling foods can change how your body smells, alter the taste of your blood, and to those with a strong sense of smell and taste it can be unpleasant. The cross can ward against demons, even harm them if it's a symbol of true faith, as can any symbol of true faith, but without true faith it's just a useless ornament. Beheading will kill all creatures that I know of and other than the most powerful most would have a hard time surviving a stake to the heart as well.”  
Knight paused for a moment to allow her to digest what he had told her before moving on to the final points.  
“Silver, being a brightmetal has properties that makes it able to inflict damage to the children of Lilith that is harder to heal, wounds inflicted by brightmetal heals much slower. And if the metal is blessed even a slight cut can kill her more frail children.”  
“Like Glenys and the Fae of the forest?”  
“Yes, like Glenys. As for sunlight, many vampirics are children of the night, the moon grants them power but direct sunlight burns away that same power from them, weakening them, they won't burst into flames or anything like that, but they become weak, lose their powers and they need to feed more frequently if they do not avoid exposure.”  
His words brought out a sigh of relief as she was able to set her worries aside.  
“Besides, with his ability to borrow the form and abilities of animals when needed, he might just be borrowing this form and these abilities as he needs them.”

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Recovery_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Em..?”  
Emelie fell of the bed with a soft yelp when Takeshi suddenly spoke up for the first time in two weeks.  
“Take!”  
She instantly crawled back into the bed and curled into his arms.  
“”I was so worried, please never do anything like this again.”  
“I'm sorry sweetie. Can you forgive me?”  
“You know I will, have.”  
“Thank you.”  
“That doesn't mean you're off the hook though, I'm still pissed.”  
“I know sweetie, I know...”  
He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead before turning slightly to get out of bed.

“Oh no you don't. You are still far too weak to be getting out of bed.”  
Knight quickly stopped Takeshi from getting up which earned him a startled snarl.  
”See, you didn't even notice I was here.”  
Takeshi made another attempt to get out of bed despite the large hand holding him down.  
“Stop wasting her blood!”  
There was a sharp edge to Knight's slightly raised voice that made Takeshi bare his fangs at him in objection, but he did settle down and stop fighting, but that was mostly because he found himself unable to dislodge Knight's grip on him.  
“You need to keep resting, recover your strength. I will continue to keep watch over all of you.”  
“I'm fine. I have rested enough.”  
Knight and Emelie both snorted at the reply.  
“That's bull and you know it. You nearly died there, you would have if it wasn't for the potent blood of your Lilim. You might have made it past the critical stage but you are still much too weak.”  
Pointing toward the desk where Takeshi's blades still rested Knight continued.  
“Even your own blades knows it and remains outside your soul so that they won't drain what little energy you have.”  
This time when Takeshi tried to stand Knight allowed it and Takeshi slowly stood and walked the few steps to the desk with a notable wobble in his step and Knight almost laughed at the frustrated growl he released when both blades rejected his touch, refusing to heed his call to return to his soul.  
“See, even they agree you need to rest more. Just take it easy, don't use any energy other than to eat. And when Em offers you her blood you take it or I will find some way to force it down your throat.”  
When Takeshi turned to him with a snarl Knight stepped back slightly but didn't stop talking.  
“I have grown fond of those girls, and you are making them worry. Losing you would destroy them and you know it!”  
Takeshi's growl grew louder as instincts rebelled at the tone Knight was using with him.

“Take, he's right and you know it. You are still way too weak to be up and about .”  
The concern in Emelie's tone instantly silenced the growling and Takeshi deflated visibly as he returned to bed, even going as far as leaning in and kissing her jaw with a low whine.  
“Take, promise me you will rest and conserve your energy.”  
She half begged, half demanded.  
“And how long would you have me confined to bed?”  
His frustrated question made her pause and think, she needed to make a reasonable demand or he would no doubt object and be stubborn, looking away from his questioning look she took her time to think.  
Looking at the blades gave her an idea that he would probably agree to so she turned back to him and locked eyes with him.

“You will promise to observe bed rest until your blades deem you strong enough to return to your soul.”  
Takeshi glared at her for a moment, his instincts still rebelling against being told what to do, but he quickly got himself back under control and nodded.  
“That's acceptable.”  
It was possible he would try to get around the demand by trying to force the blades to return, but that would require a certain amount of power, so he would need to recover quite a bit to be able to do it.  
“Take, you will promise me this, properly.”  
He sighed deeply, which in itself told her he indeed intended to try to get around it.  
“Okay.”  
Bowing his head he accepted her demand.  
“I promise I will stay in bed until my blades are back within my soul.”  
Emelie snorted at the slight adjustment of the wording before nailing him with a glare.  
“Fine... I promise I will observe proper rest until my blades have returned to my soul.”  
“Better.”  
She gave his shoulder a gentle tap with her wing, accepting the promise.

“I'll go wake the twins, Beta, make sure our dear alpha behaves as promised, and help him to the deck.”  
Emelie's voice took on a dominant edge which made Knight bow slightly, and his aura retracted into a submissive pattern.  
“Of course alpha.”  
Using the titles helped soothe Takeshi's instincts, a co-alpha ordering a beta to look after the dominant alpha was something his instincts understood, and accepted as being proper.  
“Em, why don't you take the girls out to check the snares and traps while you're at it?”  
They had just given Takeshi a dose of blood before he woke up so he would be fine for a few hours.  
“Ah, good idea. And for the sake of all of us, get him into the shower before we get back, he is starting to smell rather ripe.”  
Emelie wrinkled her nose and Knight nodded, mirroring her grimace as he gently, but firmly, ushered Takeshi toward the shower area.  
Once inside Takeshi objected rather intensely to his aid at first, but when he found that he was barely able to stay on his feet for more than a minute, much less undress without needing to lean on the wall he surrendered himself to being assisted.  
Knight couldn't help teasing him a bit as he helped him wash his hair, get dressed and finally assisted him in getting outside, nearly carrying a growling Takeshi, though the growl was just Takeshi voicing his frustration, not an actual threat.

When Emelie and the twins returned and the twins noticed that Takeshi was sitting up, clearly awake they instantly ran to pounce on him.  
“Daddy!!”  
Before they could reach him however they found themselves scooped up by Knight and gently scolded to be careful with the patient before set back down.  
The moment their feet were back on the ground they hurried to Takeshi's side, though more careful now, and crawled up next to him.  
“Hello girls.”  
“Daddy...”  
“I'm sorry I made you worry.”  
He gently pulled them closer and brushed his lips along the underside of their jaws in apology, and apology they instantly accepted.  
“Don't do that again...”  
“I can't promise that, but I can promise I will try my best, is that good enough?”  
“Guess so.”  
They both grumbled, but accepted the promise as it was.  
“Now, do tell me, what have you two been up to while I was sleeping?”

Emelie kept an eye on Takeshi and the girls as they told Takeshi of everything that had happened while he was sleeping, about all the tricks Knight had taught them about surviving in the wilderness, especially about finding food.  
Meanwhile Knight prepared their catch, a nice selection of birds, and a few rabbits, for cooking, carefully setting aside the pieces that Takeshi would usually take for himself, figuring they would be good for him in his weakened state and when he placed the tray on the low table the twins were eager to hand feed Takeshi the choice bits.  
When the meal was almost ready Emelie sent the girls inside to properly wash up before eating, and while they were inside she prepared to give Takeshi her blood but she was unsure how to approach the subject now that he was awake, fortunately Knight noticed her hesitance and stepped in to help.  
“Alpha, it's time for your _medicine_ if you are to recover anytime soon.”  
As Knight nodded toward Emelie she held out her arm for Takeshi who carefully took it with a slightly confused look, he clearly had little or no memory of just how her blood had aided him.  
“It is less painful for her if you bite rather than wait for her to cut herself, just allow your instincts to guide you.”

Closing his eyes Takeshi brought her arm closer and he could feel something stir within, guided by instincts he did not recognize he took in her scent, he could smell the blood just under her skin, her heartbeats seemed to dominate his hearing and behind those he could hear the flow of her blood.  
On a whim he pulled her arm even closer and carefully licked the inside of her wrist which triggered the release of pheromones that clouded them in peppermint.  
He could feel his fangs change and the urge to sink them into her flesh became almost painful but at the same time something was holding him back, a feeling that it would be wrong to act on the instinctive urge.  
Emelie and Knight both watched in silence, allowing Takeshi to figure things out on his own and when they noticed the confusion as he was once again fighting the urge to bite Emelie spoke up.  
“It's okay Take, go ahead. You have my permission to take as much blood as you need to recover.”  
The moment she spoke Takeshi could feel the resistance, the feeling of wrongness, fade away and be replaced by an almost reverent sensation as he sank his fangs into her arm and the mix of the taste and warmth of her blood and the strong peppermint of her arousal made his senses stir and after a few moments the power in her blood set his body on fire with a desire and thirst unlike anything he could recall ever feeling.

“Calm yourself, you rule your instincts not the other way around. Push aside the thirst and focus on your body, feel how her blood affects you. Your body will tell you when you have taken enough.”  
Takeshi listened to Knight's voice as it cut through the haze caused by the power in Emelie's blood.  
“Don't let yourself get drunk on the sensation, it can dim your senses and cloud your awareness, cause you to take too much blood, harming the one you drink from.”  
Knight had seen it happen with young vampirics, as most species did not need to consume blood or life force while they were children, they needed to learn how to control themselves when the need surfaced as they matured, something that could take time.  
In some cases they would lose themselves to the instincts, the _Thirst_ and drain the one they were feeding from to the point of death and some lost themselves completely, feeding indiscriminately, killing their victims without consideration.  
A few minutes later Takeshi withdrew his fangs and carefully sealed the puncture wounds while murmuring words of gratitude.  
Knight explained a bit more about what he suspected while they waited for the twins to come back outside and during those talks it was decided that they would explain to the twins and let them see when Takeshi fed.  
It was either that, or reduce his feeding schedule to early morning and late night, or hide from the twins, neither option was acceptable now that he was awake.

The twins just watched with their usual curiosity and had accepted it all without a care and Knight couldn't help being amazed at how easily the twins trusted Takeshi and Emelie, accepting all the strangeness around them.  
“Daddy can have our blood too if that helps.”  
Both of them quickly offered themselves as well, which caused a bit of a debate about what to do, their blood had no power to add, but it would help make them feel like they were helping him, and if he made sure to just take a small amount it wouldn't do them any harm.  
Knight had insisted that he should, that it would help him learn about his new abilities, and help solidify his control.  
“Okay girls. But I can only take a little from you because you are human.”  
They nodded their understanding and held out their arms for him.  
“Now, promise you will tell me right away if it hurts.”  
Takeshi was unsure how they would react as the seductive part of the hunting abilities wouldn't have any effect on them.  
“It tickles...”  
Maria gave him a bit of a funny look, but he could tell there was no pain, somehow her blood told him that.  
He only took a tiny mouthful before sealing the punctures created by his fangs, but that mouthful flooded his senses, telling him things that even his aura couldn't read, telling him in great detail about her physical condition.  
Once he had sealed the wounds on Sarah's arm as well he found himself being offered a significantly larger arm.  
“Go a head, taste me so that you may know me.”  
Takeshi accepted the offered arm and after allowing his power to wash over Knight he bit down and was rewarded with strangled gasp and sweet, hot blood filling his mouth.

“Go ahead, drink deeply if you wish to.”  
There was a familiar strain in Knight's voice, his breath shallower and more rapid than normal that was telling Takeshi that the seductive power was affecting the giant strongly and when Knight shifted his position slightly and pulled him into his lap he didn't object.  
Between the blood and his other senses Takeshi could tell the truth of the action, Knight was not seeking dominance, just closeness, and since he was significantly larger than even Takeshi, the easiest way for him to achieve that was to bring Takeshi into his arms.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Recovery_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

With Takeshi awake and lucid they quickly fell into a routine where Emelie and Knight took turns watching over him and the twins, but Knight noticed that Emelie's control was beginning to slip, he could feel the pull of her seduction grow stronger for each day that passed.  
“Em, you need to feed, don't you?”  
Knight confronted Emelie while the twins were taking turns feeding Takeshi raw bites from their latest hunt.  
“I do, but I will just have to manage a bit longer, Take is in no condition to aid me yet.”  
“As I have mentioned before, I am more than willing to assist you with your _dietary needs_.”  
While his words might seem teasing his voice carried an edge that made it perfectly clear he was serious.  
“I know, it's just... I don't know... I can't. It wouldn't feel right...”  
She was blushing and stuttering and Knight couldn't hide the knowing smile.  
“I know, and I understand. It can't be easy for a succubus with human views on fidelity to love so deeply.”  
Emelie blushed even deeper at his words, there was more to why she didn't feel okay with it, but she didn't contradict his words.  
“But there is more than one way for you to feed. With my demon blood I can withstand the drain of you feeding directly from my life-force rather than from sexual energy. There would be no need for intimacy beyond a joining of hands and a slight blending of the outer layers of our aura.”  
“I don't know, I might not be able to control it, what if I take too much?”  
Knight shook his head with a smile before kneeling down in front of her so that he could see her eyes.  
“You worry too much Lilim, trust your instincts. You have no desire to harm me so why would your powers harm me? Perhaps if you were seriously injured, on the verge of death you might lose control of how much you take and if you were feeding of someone weak, someone human, their life-force might not be able to withstand it.”  
Knight had promised to look after them while Takeshi rested and he took his promise very seriously.  
There was a moment of silence before Emelie nodded with a sigh.  
“Tonight, once the girls are sleeping.”

When the evening came around and the twins were sound asleep Emelie went to give Takeshi her blood but Knight interrupter her.  
“If you wait until after you have fed your blood will be more potent.”  
She nodded her understanding before looking down with a slight blush.  
“So, how do we do this?”  
“Come here, sit down and take my hands.”  
Knight sat down with his legs crossed and indicated for her to sit down in front of him and once she was seated he placed his arms on his knees and reached out for her, palms up indicating for her to place her hands in his.

Takeshi watched with curiosity as Knight guided Emelie, teaching her how to access another creature's life-force in order to feed of it.  
He listened to the instructions Knight gave her about how to tell if the life-force was strong enough to feed her, how to tell if it was weakening.  
Takeshi groaned internally when Knight taught her how to recognize various types of energy, including how to tell the sexual energy she normally fed on apart from pure life-force, with that she was sure to realize that he had been feeding her both.  
When they were done Takeshi's suspicion came true as Emelie rounded on him with a glare.  
“All this time you have allowed me to drain your life-force and never told me.”  
It wasn't a question and Takeshi merely nodded.  
“Why? Why didn't you tell me, I could have hurt you!”  
With a sigh Takeshi motioned for her to join him in the pile of pillows he was resting in since reaching out for her with his aura would drain what little reserves he had been able to build up.  
“I didn't tell you because there was no need to, all it would have accomplished would have been to make you worry.”

He carefully shifted position and pulled her into his arms.  
“I spoke with the Mother and she assured me that you would not be able to harm me unless you intended to. And you needed the energy to develop properly.”  
“But I can't control it, I could have hurt you!”  
Takeshi silenced her with a kiss before continuing.  
“Your control is much better than you believe. It's true that at first you had very little control, but that has changed over the years and you never take more that you need, never take more than what I can easily replace with a solid meal and a good night's sleep.”  
“But, shouldn't I be able to live purely of sexual energy?”  
Her question was directed equally to Knight as it was to Takeshi and it was Knight that answered her.  
“Yes, you can live purely of the sexual energy, you are in fact exceptionally well fed in that regard. But you would develop a bit slower, by also taking some life-force to remain at full strength at all times you are able to grow and develop as a succubus much faster than you would if you didn't. And like he said, it is perfectly safe for him to let you feed of his life-force under normal circumstances.”  
While Knight spoke Emelie was increasingly distracted by Takeshi's sniffing and nipping and her neck, just shy of drawing blood and she could feel his new power pulling at her, setting her blood on fire.  
With a hiss she refocused on Takeshi and noticed that he seemed distracted as well, once again struggling with the urge to bite and with a shiver of pure desire she tilted her head back and gave him her permission.  
Knight watched with an amused smile as Emelie gave her blood to Takeshi, he was curious to see how things would end up once Takeshi had recovered enough for them to return to their old habits.  
He had a feeling that their sex would come with a lot more biting from now, even after Takeshi was fully recovered he would probably still have vampiric urges.

Over the next few days Takeshi's recovery seemed to speed up, and it didn't take long before the blades returned to their place within his soul.  
“Finally, another day in bed and I fear my sanity would have escaped me.”  
Takeshi mock complained when Emelie huffed at his wide grin at the compliance of his blades.  
“What sanity?”  
She didn't miss a beat and he instantly pounced at her for the teasing quip, taking his time to give her a proper tickle session that left them both short of breath from laughing.

“So, Knight. I hear you have shown quite an aptitude for hunting with my crossbow, care to show me?”  
Takeshi was hungry for a proper feast of meat and a hunt would help soothe his Beast as well, the blasted creature was growing increasingly restless.  
“Oh, in the mood to hunt are we?”  
“Not really, just hungry for a lot of meat, and tired of a certain backseat driver that is getting a bit too annoying.”  
Takeshi's complaints made Knight laugh, and agree that a hunt might just be what Takeshi needed.  
“Not to mention curious to see how well you hunt with my crossbow.”  
“And what will you hunt with?”  
“Fang and claw.”  
Takeshi flexed his claws while flashing Knight a fanged smile.  
The hint of challenge had Knight agreeing in a heartbeat, he may have the advantage of range with the crossbow, but Takeshi would have the advantage of stealth, in the end that should put them on more equal footing.

Come morning they both presented Emelie with their prey, Knight had felled a nicely sized wild boar, while Takeshi presented her with a red deer stag.  
She took the time to inspect both offerings carefully before turning to Knight.  
“Sorry big guy, but I'm partial to venison.”  
“And to Take.”  
Knight quipped back in good humor.  
“And to Take.”  
She agreed before leaning in and giving Takeshi a teasing kiss, accepting his offering and crowning him the winner of their latest competition.

Stepping back in font of Knight she used the tip of her tail to make him raise his head before taking another step closer and giving him a soft peck on the lips, though it did feel a bit odd.  
Knight was so huge compared to her that in his current position, kneeling before her, his eyes were actually level with hers.  
Emelie was small compared to most, tiny compared to Takeshi, and Knight was a solid head taller than Takeshi and a good deal bulkier, making her seem like little more than a large doll at his side.  
“You should know, while I place Take above all others, I am not indifferent to you.”

During Takeshi's recovery she had come to rely on Knight a lot, not only had he helped her with the twins, he had comforted her in her worry, soothed her fears, but most importantly, he had taught her how to save Takeshi.  
Knight could be annoying at times, but like Takeshi he knew when to be serious, when to be nurturing, and through that he had earned her trust and respect, and once he had that it had been very easy for her to grow fond of him, and in that short time she had also grown to care deeply for him.  
To boot her succubus nature was very curious about the idea of bedding him, something that would have been impossible had she not been a demon.

“I know my sweet little alpha, my amazing little lilim.”  
Knight's teasing reply made her hiss at him before using her tail to force his head back and to the side so she could nip at his ear in punishment, then his neck, demanding he submit, which he did without hesitation.  
“Mom, is Knight trying to get into your panties?”  
The sudden question from the door of the trailer made Emelie spin around with a squeak and nail Maria with a crooked look while blushing rather vividly, then she broke down laughing.  
“Yeah, he is. But don't you think you are a bit too young for such topics?”  
“Nuhuh!”  
Maria's response to the light scolding had Takeshi and Knight laughing as well.  
“Maria, Em has a point. Those are not things little girls like you should be talking about.”  
“Okay, I won't.”  
There was a distinct impishness over both her smile and her tone, and a moment later her familiar transmitted her thoughts.  
_“But this is fine, isn't it?”_  
Her question showed that she did understand, understand that her new family didn't really care, but that it could give others the wrong idea.  
“Yes my clever little girl. It is.”

They had never really hidden their sex life from the girls, though, during the first period at the island they did take a bit more care in order not to upset the girls after what they had been through.  
But as the girls recovered and weren't bothered by the intimacies they became less picky about where they had their fun, and the girls quickly learned to just walk away if they stumbled across them, or if a situation turned carnal as it was prone to with Takeshi and Emelie.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Recovery_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

By the time it was time to start planning where to go next Takeshi was almost fully recovered.  
“So, almost time to head out, any suggestions?”  
Takeshi tossed the question out as they were helping the twins prepare for bed, with just a week to go before they had to leave it was high time to make plans.  
“How about Greece? Maybe we can find some trace of Artemis and return Minerva to her?”  
Emelie was the first to speak up and Knight instantly agreed.  
“Perhaps Akylea's father or mother is still around so we can bring word to them that we have freed the last of her legacy.”  
Takeshi and Emelie both nodded to Knight's addition, and when speaking of Akylea made his pain surface again they all offered support, including the twins who hurried to curl into his lap.  
“If Artemis is what I believe her to be, an Avatar, she may be able to guide us about what to do with the other weapons as well. The Mother merely says they are beyond her realm.”  
“That would be useful.”  
“Indeed.”  
Emelie and Knight both agreed.  
“Sarah, Maria, what do you think?”  
“Greek food is yummy.”  
As usual the twins didn't really care where they went as long as there was food to be sampled.  
“Greece it is then.”

With the girls sleeping soundly the adults retired to the deck with maps and other travel data to plan out the trip, they could either travel through Italy and then go by ferry to Greece, or they could cross over to Austria and drive down through the Balkans.  
“The Balkans are still tethering at the brink of war, with various armed groups causing trouble. I don't feel comfortable taking the girls through there.”  
Emelie was the first to object to the idea of going through the Balkans.  
“I am unfamiliar with the political situation of the lands, but I agree with Em, if there is great unrest we should avoid going there.”  
Knight's words were slightly hesitant as he couldn't really offer any real advice due to his lack of knowledge.  
"I agree as well, both for the sake of the girls, but also since your identity won't hold up to scrutiny, and with the unrest the border controls are stricter, increasing the risk of you being found out."  
Takeshi added his own input and was met with agreeing nods.  
“I guess we are in agreement then. And the twins will no doubt love eating their way through Italy.”  
“Their appetite is quite remarkable. I'm amazed they don't end up as plump as little partridges.”  
Knight agreed with a laugh.  
“Fortunately they are plenty energetic to match their appetite.”  
Takeshi's amused agreement made Emelie snort at them and remind the two males of just how much **they** ate.

They estimated taking somewhere between two weeks and a month to get to Greece, leaving ample time for various stops along the way as well as securing a ferry that would take a private truck and trailer as large as theirs, many would not ferry rigs at all without a cargo manifest from an established shipping company.  
While they were making plans Knight watched as Takeshi's teasing became more intense and began to show a determination he hadn't seen since before the Louvre incident, it seemed Takeshi was intent on enjoying the rest of the night in the most carnal of ways.  
“Take, knock it off! Don't start what you won't finish.”  
Emelie half scolded, half begged.  
“Whoever said I won't finish?”  
Knight hissed as Takeshi's aura unfurled, it was far stronger than it had been before, somehow the brush with death had unlocked something within the, by comparison, young male and this new power set Knight's senses on fire and a quick look at Emelie told him that the succubus was in an almost trance like frenzy and yet Knight could tell from the feel of the power that it was not Takeshi's full power they were feeling.  
Shifting into a more comfortable position he settled back to watch as the couple in front of him made up for lost time and it was not without a certain envy and desire to join them, perhaps some day...

 


	7. Sightseeing

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Sightseeing_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

Takeshi knocked at the door to the twins little bedroom hidden away in an overhead compartment and gave them a moment before poking his head inside.  
“Morning girls. How about you hurry and get ready for breakfast, then we can talk a bit more about the details for where we are going from here.”  
Two heads instantly popped up from the pile of pillows and the pair scrambled out of bed.  
“Okay!”

Motivated by the promise of having a say in where to go the twins got ready in record time and were practically bouncing in their seats during breakfast.  
“Girls, help Knight clear the table please.”  
“Of course!”  
While Knight and the twins cleared the table Takeshi walked over the shelf that had been turned into a home for the Sylph and her daughters, on the twins insistence the planter had been joined by a dollhouse with beds for all of them and a small table fountain made from sanctuary crystal for them to bathe in..  
“If you wish to have a say in our plans you will have to join us on the deck.”  
Takeshi offered her his hand to carry her out to the deck, and he felt a sharp pang of guilt and sorrow when there was a flicker of fear in her aura and she darted away and fled out the window.

When Takeshi stepped outside the others were already settled in the pile of pillows and after a quick glance to make sure he knew exactly where all the limbs were hiding he pounced on Knight and made himself comfortable on top of the larger male.  
Knight just huffed at him, though Takeshi could tell he was struggling with his instincts a bit, not entirely comfortable with having Takeshi on top of him, but when Emelie hissed at them for squirming around too much Knight instantly settled down.  
“That's a good boy.”  
Takeshi teased softly, which earned him a sharp slap from Emelie's tail.  
“Both of you, behave.”  
Takeshi of course couldn't let her win completely so he quickly grabbed her tail and gave the tip a good nip.  
“Hai hai sweetie.”

“Weren't we supposed to be making plans.”  
Sarah's interruption made Takeshi flash his fangs at her for a moment before breaking into a smile.  
“Indeed we were you cheeky little rascal.”  
Squirming a bit, burrowing his elbow into Knight's chest for good measure, Takeshi turned slightly so he could watch the others.  
“Our end goal is Greece, and the Temple of Artemis in Arcadia. Now, for safety reasons we will be traveling through Italy and crossing from Brindisi to Patras.”  
“Can we go to Monaco?”  
Twin sets of eyes were sparkling at him, and he hated to have to disappoint them.  
“I'm sorry sweetie, not this time. Remember, Knight doesn't have a proper passport so we need to minimize the risk of anyone finding out. And the border control at Monaco is very strict.”  
“Okay...”  
“We can visit some other time after we have created proper papers for him.”  
“I guess...”  
“My suggestion is that we head south down through Lyon and Valence on to the coast and Marseilles, follow the coast to Nice and cross north of Monaco, then head for Genoa, then Bologna and Florence before going south toward Rome.”  
“I guess we won't be going to San Marino either this time?”  
“Well, they don't have the same strict border control that Monaco does, so we could if you really want to.”  
“But any extra borders would mean a risk for someone to notice, wouldn't it?”  
“That's right Maria.”  
“Then we don't!”  
The absolute determination in her voice made Takeshi smile at her and thank her for caring about the safety of the pack, even if Knight wasn't formally a member of the pack he was under the protection of the pack.

“So, anyone have any objections to that route?”  
“Nah.”  
“Sounds good.”  
“Not if we stop at some markets and farms along the way.”  
“Don't worry my sweet little gluttons, we will make plenty of stops to fill up those little black holes that you girls call stomachs.”  
The teasing assurance caused both the girls to glare at him and grumble about how mean he was.  
“Aww, my little girls don't like me anymore?”  
Takeshi pulled a master level puppy dog eye which instantly had the twins scurrying into his arms, mumbling about him being silly.  
Takeshi had cheated a bit though, his ability to control his aura allowed him to trick the twins developing empath abilities, making them think he truly was sad, but he suspected it wouldn't work much longer, they were learning fast.  
He quickly allowed his aura to morph back into a content mixture of calm and happy, instantly soothing the twins.

“Daddy, when are we leaving?”  
Maria's eager question made the other snicker at her.  
“Easy there. We still have a week left here, and we are allowed to take two more red deer, and there are plenty of wild boar around for us to hunt so we will spend this week stocking up on meat.”  
“Can we catch more fish too?”  
Knight swore that Sarah's love for grilled fish was the stuff of legends, which made her blush and huff, before looking at Takeshi demanding an answer.  
“Yes, we can catch more fish too, but only a few trouts, there is too much pike compared to trout here so we need to focus on those.”  
Takeshi explained that they needed to mind the balance of the lake.  
“Okay, pike was good too.”  
“Of course it, just stay away from the mean old gators.”  
Takeshi enjoyed pike, but he wasn't too fond of the really big ones as they tended to be dry and boring.  
“We caught a really big one while you were sleeping and mommy made amazing fish balls with it.”  
Sarah vehemently rejected Takeshi's suggestion that the big, old, pikes were no good.  
“Oh she did did she?”  
“Mhm!”  
“Takeshi looked up at Emelie with curiosity.  
“I remember a recipe that Eevi's grandma used to make with those really big old pikes, mixing ground pike with ground pork, cream, eggs and spices.”  
“Oh, sounds interesting, guess we will have to catch you one of them old gators then.”  
His comment had the twins looking very puzzled.  
“But, you had a huge pile of them...”  
“Remembers girls, my mind was sleeping even when my body was awake, I don't remember what they tasted like.”  
“Oh...”  
“Well, I would love to make them again, but you're going to have to go shopping. I'm gonna needs eggs, and lots of cream. Big guy here is quite the calf.”  
“Just make a list and I'll go get what you need.”  
Takeshi quickly promised to go shopping if it meant getting to try out her version of pike balls.  
“Were gonna have to get a few cows if we are going to have enough milk back home to keep him happy.”  
“Mhm... Might be a good idea to get chickens and a few other things as well.”

The milk and cream delivered along with other food items in the weekly deliveries had been enough when it was mostly just Emelie and Dan drinking any larger quantities, but with another big milk drinker they could do with being able to produce it on their own.

“Can we build a warren too?”  
Maria's question had Takeshi turning to her and questioning her with a teasing tone.  
“Oh, you want to raise cute little bunny rabbits to cuddle with do you?”  
“No, I wanna raise **big** rabbits to **eat**!”  
“Ah, that's my sweet little girl!”  
Takeshi laughed and scooped her up before ruffling her hair which made her growl and swat at his hand.  
“My my, I guess I'm mistaken. This must be my grumpy little pup.”  
Leaning in he gave her ear a gentle nip which instantly silenced the playful growling, then moments later she was squealing with laughter as he began tickling her.

“Now, which one of you will to come with me to buy milk, cream and eggs, and which one of you will help Knight and Em catch a big old pike?”  
Takeshi was curious to see how the girls would solve the task of dividing two so completely different tasks between them.  
As usual only a small fraction of the conversation between the twins was verbal and after a few minutes of what was clearly some intense deliberations they brought out their dice box and started tossing a handful of dice each and after a few tosses they both nodded and Sarah ran over to Knight while Maria skipped over to Takeshi and jumped up on his back.  
“I guess that settles it then.”  
“Can I ride in the front seat?”  
“I'm sorry sweetie, you are still a bit too short, despite the adjustments made to make the seats fit Em.”

One of the hardest parts with both the Tractor and the GT-R was seats that could be adjust so that both Takeshi and Emelie could drive.  
For the tractor it had been solved by a mechanism that allowed them to swap the front seats so that the seat that was specially made for Em could be moved between the diver and front passenger spot.  
For the GT-R it had not been quite as easy, but in the end they had solved it with a detachable insert that could be placed into either seat, acting a bit like a booster seat so that she could drive comfortably and safely.

“Okay...”  
Maria was obviously disappointed that she wouldn't be allowed in the front seat.  
“Don't worry, there will be plenty of time for you to come ride with me when you grow up a bit. After all, someone will need to teach you how to drive.”  
Even the promise of future driving lessons didn't do much to lift her mood, but once they arrived at the small farm market a box of fall strawberries quickly raised her mood.  
Carefully setting aside half of them for Sarah before eating a few of the sweet, red, berries she watched Takeshi carry the stainless milk churns to the car and secure them before adding several trays of eggs.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Sightseeing_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Seat belt check!”  
Takeshi could see the belt indicators on the computer screen, but he called out anyway as a bit of a final call that they were about to leave Forêt d'Orient.  
“Maria, check!”  
“Sarah, check!”  
The twins eagerly played along.  
“Yeah, I'm properly stuck in this blasted contraption.”  
Knight's version was more of a grumble, he was not a fan of seat belts.  
“Sweetie?”  
Takeshi turned to Emelie since she hadn't responded.  
“Yeah yeah worrywart, I'm all good.”  
“Let's get this show on the road then.”

After a moment of consideration he reached for the cord for the air horn and speaker setup and pulled down, making the powerful array blast the refrain of the twins' favorite version of the popcorn song, at first he had almost regretted allowing the twins to pick the melody, but over time the somewhat silly tune had grown on him.  
“Do the big horn!”  
The twins were quickly begging for more.  
The _Big Horn_ was the latest version of the _Tyfon 425_ , it may be far more compact than its predecessors but it still packed just as much power, and the same deep tone, and it would send most traffic scrambling to get out of their way.  
Though technically a boat horn Takeshi preferred the deep, almost soft, tone of the fog horn as it didn't hurt his ears as much as the higher pitch horns commonly used in cars, trucks and trains.  
“Not here sweetie, we don't want to scare the animals.”  
“When we get out on the road?”  
”Don't worry, I'm sure some halfwit or another will try to give us a break test before long.”

Takeshi had quickly found that there was a staggering amount of outright suicidal drivers out on the roads, there had been several incidents each day where people would cut in in front of them only to hit the breaks.  
There had been a few fender benders despite the fact that their rig had blind spot sensors, people simply cut in so close that there was nothing he could do to stop in time, and they weren't even heavily loaded.  
It was the main reason why Takeshi did most of the driving, Emelie was far more hot headed and prone to bouts of road rage.

As Takeshi suspected it wasn't long after they turned on to the A5, a twin lane motorway, that an antsy driver rushed to pass them only to tightly cut in front of them and slam the brakes.  
“Mom!?”  
The twins instantly gave Emelie a mock scolding for her rather colorful language regarding the mental faculties and presumed parentage of the driver, while Knight looked like he was about to run and hide, surprised by the loud sound of the horn.  
“Are you okay back there big guy?”  
“Yeah, I'll be fine. Not sure what is more shocking though, the sound of that horn, or her language.”  
Knight's dig at her less than ladylike language made Emelie hiss at him, but when her tail stirred Takeshi intervened.  
“Easy there sweetie, he is right you know. That is not very lady like, nor is it appropriate around the girls.”  
The reminder that the girls were there and heard her foul language instantly made her temper deflate.  
“I'm sorry Take, girls, big guy.”  
“We know, mommy got road rage.”  
“Worry not Em, your instincts are to protect, even I can tell that what that car did was dangerous, and with no other way to respond your temper flares.”  
Knight and the twins instantly forgave her, as did Takeshi.  
“Come here sweetie, give me that tail.”  
Her tail instantly darted out and wrapped around Takeshi's wrist and once it had settled down he brought his hand up and kissed the bladed tip softly.  
“You may have a temper, and a mouth, sometimes, but you are still my sweet little Em.”  
Emelie huffed and tried to look affronted, but after a few moments she broke down with a soft sigh, and something akin to a purr.

“Daddy! Look! There's the vineyard!”  
Their first stop on their way to Greece was a combined vineyard and winery in Burgundy that offered a selection of traditional food along with their own wine.  
They worked together with several farms and producers in the region making them able to offer a wide range of products in addition to their own wares.  
They had made arrangements for a large tasting that would offer not just the well known dishes such as _Boeuf bourguignon_ and _Coq au vin_ but also those less common with the tourists such as _Escargot, Cuisses de grenouille_ or _T_ _ête de vaeu_ , snails, frog legs and veal head.  
Takeshi was very curious what the reaction would be to the veal head, he knew the twins would at least taste it, and Knight would eat anything he was offered, regardless of his opinion of the taste.  
He doubted even the Fates could predict Emelie's reaction, but he was more curious to how the staff would react to how eagerly the twins would sample everything.  
The receptionist Takeshi had spoken with to make the reservations had repeatedly tried to suggest he pick one of their _child friendly_ menus but Takeshi would have none of that.

“Daddy, can we taste the wine too?”  
They had just been seated and the server was offering them a selection of _Hors d'Oeuvres_ and the adults were offered wine to with it as well.  
Takeshi considered Maria's question for a moment before turning to Em.  
“What do you think sweetie?”  
It took a while before she answered him.  
“Well, if its okay with the staff I think we can let them taste a small sip.”  
She turned to the twins with a sharp look.  
“But only if you promise you will just swirl it in your mouth to taste it and then spit it out, not swallow.”  
“Okay!”  
“We promise!”  
After a short conversation with the server the twins were also offered a small sip of wine along with the, small, flavorful bites.  
The wine didn't go over too well with the twins, but they still insisted on tasting each of the different wines offered much to everyone's amusement

“Daddy, what are those quiz things?”  
Takeshi smiled at the twins attempt to pronounce _Cuisses de grenouille.  
_ “Well, they cute little things that jump a lot.”  
“Oh I know!”  
“Rabbit!”  
Maybe he shouldn't have used cute to describe frogs, but that was how they both usually described the frogs they caught and showed him or Emelie.  
“No, think _I_ instead of _A_ .”  
They both looked quite confused for a moment.  
“Ribbit..?”  
The utter confusion on their faces made Takeshi smile and patiently wait for them to figure it out.  
Then Maria suddenly began smiling and started croaking.  
_“Ribbit, ribbit.”_  
Sarah's expression instantly brightened.  
“Oh! Frog legs!”  
“That's right girls.”  
Takeshi gave them a soft nod, confirming their guess which caused a round of excited cheering.  
“Girls, remember your restaurant manners.”  
Both of them instantly ducked their heads when Emelie reminded them that they had promised to use their best manners and not be loud or rambunctious during the fancy meal.  
“Sorry...”  
The solemn note only lasted for a moment though before they made short work of the now identified morsels on their plates.

Takeshi couldn't help smiling at the face Emelie made when the veal head was rolled in, the twins were just as excited as always though, and Emelie refused to let herself be outdone by them, so she forced herself to at least taste the offered meat.  
“Well, it tastes just fine, but I could do without the not so appealing presentation.”  
“Who cares what it looks like!”  
“It's good!”  
The twins instantly scolded her for caring more about the look than the taste and after a few moments she broke down laughing and agreed with them that it didn't matter.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Sightseeing_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

After their rather extravagant meal Takeshi placed orders for several of the wares showcased before leading his little family back to the trailer.  
“So, how did you girls enjoy the meal?”  
Takeshi prodded gently.  
“It was awesome!”  
“The wine tasted funny though...”  
“How fortunate then that wine is not something little girls should drink.”  
The twins opinion of wine made the others snicker and tease a bit.  
“I really liked the snails and frog legs.”  
Emelie just shook her head at Maria's favorite picks but Takeshi teased her a bit for it.  
“Maria, sweetie. You love anything as long as it's slathered in enough garlic butter.”  
“But garlic butter is good!”  
“Mhm, it is.”  
He agreed with a smile.  
“Can I have garlic butter mushrooms tomorrow?”  
“Yes sweetie. Want some shellfish with that too? ”  
“Please can I?”  
“Mhm.”  
“Thanks daddy!”  
Takeshi just laughed and ruffled her hair.

“What about you big guy, how did you like the meal?”  
“Dionysus himself would have been pleased with such an offering.”  
“Not the answer I asked for, so I guess it wasn't entirely to your taste.”  
Takeshi had a pretty good idea what the problem was that Knight was trying to be diplomatic about.  
“Would you please share?”  
“The food was excellent and the wine the finest made by human hand I have ever sampled. But it confuses me, I understand to offer samples with each plate holding but a tiny morsel, but I don't understand offering no way to further enjoy the favored ones.”  
The confirmation of his suspicion made Takeshi snicker at Knight.  
“That is indeed somewhat unfortunate, but you forget humans can't eat as much as we can. And the meal is intended to offer samples to make people buy their wares.”  
Knight just shook his head with a sigh.  
“Modern humans are weird...”  
“Sometimes.”  
Takeshi agreed, he wasn't a big fan of the way fancy restaurants tended to serve tiny servings that were mostly garnish as they always left him wanting.

The following day they continued their journey, and headed toward Italy, and Brindisi, they intended to take their sweet time though stopping at various towns along the way, trying out the local cuisine and ordering large amounts of the delicacies they encountered.

“Daddy, can we go visit the Vatican?”  
As they approached Rome the twins begged to go see the sights of the Vatican.  
“Of course sweetie.”  
“That may not be such a great idea.”  
Knight interrupted softly.  
“Oh, why is that?”  
Takeshi could feel the worry and concern in Knight's aura.  
“The humans of this world may mostly have forgotten about magic, but the Vatican is the seat of power for the Catholic Church, magic was built into its very foundation. Power that no doubt remains to this day. Power with the purpose of keeping those with demon blood form entering without very specific invitations.”  
Knight explained that when he was brought in as one of the Templar Knights he was brought to the Vatican as only the Pope himself could grant a demon crossbreed knighthood which was required for him to have the rank of Knight within the order.  
“To gain entry into the Vatican I had to carry a holy relic which granted me temporary passage through the barriers around the city. Without it my demon blood would have been violently rejected by the blessed barriers. Even my steed had to be protected by a relic.”  
“I see.”  
Takeshi nodded slowly, if there were barriers able to keep Knight out chances were they would affect Emelie as well, maybe even him.  
“With my banishment they no doubt added my blood to the defenses to make sure I and anyone of my line remained banished and unable to claim vengeance.”

They agreed they would try at least, but they warned the twins they may not be able to, but fortunately the city passes they had ordered included a lot of different attractions so even if the Vatican was out they would have plenty of sights to visit.  
As they approached the city within the city it quickly became obvious that the blessed barriers were still up and running.  
It started with Emelie feeling increasingly uncomfortable and shortly after Knight began to feel the same sensation and only a few steps later Takeshi could sense it as well, by the time they reached the border of the Vatican they were all feeling it, even the twins were affected as the barriers rejected their familiars.  
“I don't like this feeling...”  
“It hurts them...”  
The twins both complained softly, concerned about the discomfort of their familiars.  
When Knight raised his hand they could see the slight shimmer of the barrier where he touched it and he quickly pulled his hand back from the slight burning sensation.  
“I'm sorry girls, I don't think I can pass this barrier, at least not without getting seriously hurt. It's still just as powerful as it was back in my days. Being built into the structures it takes little more than a few prayers to keep it powered.”

While Knight spoke Emelie carefully reached out and tapped the barrier with a long nail and instantly hissed in pain as the barrier reacted violently, zapping her with red and white sparks.  
“Mommy!”  
“Em!”  
They all called out in concern at her pained hiss.  
“I'm okay, but that hurt like hell. There is no way I will be able to go past it.”  
She soothed the others while focusing on letting her power rise to heal the damage done by the barrier  
Takeshi noted that the reaction to him was not a violent one, more of a resistance and he was pretty sure he would be able to get past the barrier and could take the twins to see the sights if they wanted to but they adamantly refused to go without Emelie, Knight and their familiars.  
When they turned around and headed toward the next location on their list they all got the distinct feeling of someone watching them, following them, even the twins seemed slightly uneasy, looking around for whatever they were feeling, but not understanding.

“Something feels strange...”  
Sarah and Maria were clinging to each other while looking around, unsettled by the feeling of being watched.  
“I know sweetie. Someone is watching us, but don't worry, it doesn't feel malicious.”  
Takeshi gently wrapped his aura around the twins, letting it soothe them, and numbing their awareness slightly so they wouldn't be as aware of being watched.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Sightseeing_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

Shortly after their return to Lake Albano where their trailers were set up a man in a monk's robe approached them, as he came closer they noticed that the robe was of the same design as the robe that had been left within the tomb, only the color differed, this man was wearing a pale gray robe while the one in the tomb had been a deep black.  
The monk looked positively ancient, a long gray beard fell well below the cord that gathered the robe at the waist and beneath the hood sharp eyes were set deep within the wrinkles of a weathered face and they could feel a calm power flowing through his aura.  
When he reached the edge of the field generated by the crystals from the Sanctuary he stopped and bowed deeply.  
“May I approach?”  
Takeshi gave Emelie and Knight a quick look, making sure they were both ready to fight if needed.  
_“Girls, go to your room and wait please.”  
“Okay...”  
_ They could feel his concern so they obeyed the silent request without argument. _  
_ “You may approach, but don't try anything, we are quite capable of protecting ourselves.”  
The old monk nodded and approached slowly.  
“I am Brother Marco and it has been far too many years since I last came across someone with demon blood, much less powerful enough to be stopped by the barriers.”

Kneeling down in front of them he bowed his head deeply.  
“For many years now my conscience has plagued me for the actions of my youth. So now I come before you asking to be judged for my crimes, for taking part in killing those with demon blood for no other reason than the blood in their veins. Killing others for mere accusations, not caring if they were true or not.”  
The old monk told them of his past and he told them how a powerful demon had cursed him with it's last breath, cursed him to be unable to die by mortal means.  
He explained that over the past 400 years or so he had learned the error of his ways and had devoted his life to trying to make amends.  
“So I humble myself before you, to beg to be allowed to die.”

Takeshi reached forward with a tendril of his aura, touching the old monks aura to see if he could sense the curse and the moment his intent reached it the curse flared, burning black runes forming across the monks aura as Takeshi's touche made it visible.  
“That's Shadow-magic, there is nothing I can do about it even if I wanted to.”  
Knight was the first to speak up and the tension in his voice made it perfectly clear he had no desire to aid the monk in being rid of the curse, quite understandable considering what had been done to him and the woman he had tried to save.  
“My Beast tells me it could release the curse, but it will not do so, it will not undo what an elder has done.”  
With those words everyone turned to Emelie, waiting to see what she would do.  
“I can feel it you know, the pain and suffering you caused. It's branded into your very soul with this curse so that all will know what you did.”  
She spoke while she examined the aura before her, and the curse binding it.  
Part of her wanted to just tell the monk to leave, to never show his face to them again, but another part of her pitied him, he had after all been young, and society back then had been very different.  
She could feel the intent of the curse, and somehow the runes resonated with her power, telling her that she could undo it.  
But at the same time she didn't want him to just be free either, examining the flickering runes her mind began to drift, considering what options she had.  
Takeshi and Knight watched with slight concern as Emelie's succubus nature became fully visible while the slow pulsing of her aura indicated some sort of a trance state.  
When she began speaking quietly in a language Takeshi didn't recognize he moved to wake her before the Beast spoke up, telling him that she was speaking in one of the old languages of the Shadow-demons, due to who her grandfather was she was able to use Shadow-magic and her words were pulling at the curse, altering it.  
A few minutes later she fell silent and the altered runes settled back into the monks aura before she snapped out of the trance like state.

“I will not remove the curse, you deserved it. But I have changed it, the day you truly feel that you have fully atoned for your actions the curse will allow you death.”  
With that she dismissed him by simply turning her back and crawling into Takeshi's lap.  
Takeshi couldn't help the low growl that escaped when she burrowed into him and searched out his aura, as he wrapped it around her he could feel pain and sorrow seeping from her.  
Takeshi's growl spurred Knight into action, in one smooth move he stood up and took a step toward the monk, mid step the power signaling the summoning of his armor washed over him.  
“Your presence greatly upsets our Lady Lilim and that will not be tolerated so begone monk!“  
“Li, Lilim?!”  
The shock was clear in the old monk's voice as he began to back away.  
“Yes, she is _Shirai_ Lilim. Now leave!”  
_“Shirai?”  
_ Both Takeshi and Emelie asked him silently.  
_”Shirai, second generation. The first five generations are considered true Lilim and they are Arai, Shirai, Ganrai, Norai and Hirai. I keep forgetting you have not been taught the language of the Lilim and my own knowledge is very limited”  
_ Knight explained while making sure the monk left before removing his armor and re-joining Takeshi and Emelie on the deck as they called to the twins that they could come out again.

“So any children of mine would be _Ganrai_ ?”  
“Yes, unless the father is _Arai_ , then they would be _Shirai_ , like yourself.”  
Knight smirked as the insinuation of Emelie birthing children by someone else caused Takeshi's growl to pick up again, he had noticed that Takeshi had been displaying increasingly possessive behavior lately.  
Emelie looked puzzled for a moment before she realized what caused the growl and once she did she sighed and shook her head with a smile and a roll of her eyes.  
“Now now Take, don't be like that.”  
She teased softly while burrowing herself into his arms, soothing his instincts.

Knight figured that at some level Takeshi was still seeing him as competition, especially since he started assisting with feeding Emelie during Takeshi's recovery, even though she only fed of his life-force an instinctual part of Takeshi still viewed it as competition for her favor.  
To test the theory Knight reached out and hooked his hand under Emelie's tail, dragging his hand along it while pulling it toward him and finishing it with a kiss and a nip at the bladed tip which instantly brought a waft of peppermint and an increase in the growling.  
Knight had to admit he was intentionally poking at Takeshi's instincts and enjoying it, but it was not just for fun, if they were to go to the Obsidian Halls he needed Takeshi to be more in tune with the demonic instincts the Shadow-beast gave him and one way to make that happen was to keep triggering those instincts by carefully treading on the edge of challenging the demon within.  
Constantly getting on its nerves, poking at its instincts, its pride and dominant nature, simply pushing the limits for its tolerance while at the same time keeping from getting into an actual fight as he was pretty sure he would not get away from one without some serious pain.  
Takeshi had been sparring with him, teaching him a bit about modern fighting, while also learning a bit about demon techniques and he had found that Takeshi was a surprisingly deadly opponent, much stronger than he looked, and insanely fast.

“Well, I guess this proves I'm part shadow at least.”  
Emelie carefully tried to diffuse the situation before it caused another scuffle.  
“Indeed it does. Those were high level shadow runes, being able to read them proves your heritage, and being able to alter them proves your power.”  
Reminded of her deed Knight's aura quickly folded back into submission and his voice carried a somewhat awed tone.  
“You're doing it again.”  
Emelie sighed at Knight when he moved closer while staying low, essentially bowing to her.  
It always made her uncomfortable when he treated her like some kind of royalty.  
“Apologies Lilim.”  
A split second later Knight was sailing through the air before landing in Lake Albano with a splash courtesy of Emelie's tail and with an annoyed hiss she stalked after him, set on teaching him a lesson about calling her Lilim.

“So, what do you girls want to do tomorrow?”  
Takeshi ignored the spectacle in favor of speaking to the twins about the change of plans caused by the Vatican barriers.  
“Well, we have already visited all the fun places today.”  
“So it's okay with you girls if we break camp early and start moving toward Brindisi?”  
“Mhm!”  
“Okay, if Em and Knight agree we have a plan.”  
With a quick glance toward the water Takeshi noted that Emelie had given Knight a thorough thrashing and the giant of a male was now on his back with his throat bared.  
“Well, looks like they are done so how about we start dinner?”  
“Okay!”  
The twins jumped up from the bedding with a happy chirp and made a beeline for the kitchen and Takeshi followed them after a last glance to make sure Emelie and Knight were okay.

“What are we making today?”  
Maria was leaning on the table while Takeshi brought out the ingredients for their meal.  
“We're making a lot of pasta today.”  
“Oh, are we trying those dried fish-eggs you bought?”  
“Mhm, we are going to have some _Bottarga_ with it.”  
“Can we make our own pasta?”  
“Of course sweetie, that was the plan.”  
They had plenty of dry pasta, but Takeshi wanted to try making fresh pasta, in part because he knew the twins would love trying, and in part his own curiosity to try the massive pasta crafting kit Emelie had insisted they buy.  
“Yay!”

Together they used the included book to make a few different versions of pasta dough.  
“Why don't you girls look in the book and pick a few shapes to try?”  
“Okay.”  
While the dough rested and the girls picked their favorite shapes Takeshi, Emelie and Knight prepared a selection of sauces and side dishes to make sure that their demonic dietary needs were satisfied.

Once dinner was done with they settled down with some games, and spoke more about the plans for the immediate future and in the end they made reservations on a ferry from Brindisi one week later.  
It gave them plenty of time to explore along the way, heading south along the west coast toward Naples and Pompeii, then move on to Salerno before crossing to the east via Potenza to Matera and on to Taranto and finally Brindisi.  
It was only a 600km drive so they would be able to make plenty of stops and detours along the way.  
Once their visit to Arcadia was done they would head to Athens where Matthews would pick them up with the Blackout and shipping arrangements would be made for the truck and trailers to bring them to a warehouse in Honolulu.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Sightseeing_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

The stayed an extra day in Naples to enjoy a tour of the underground as well as a street food tour before heading toward the crater of Mount Vesuvius.  
Takeshi listened with half an ear as the guide told them about the history of the volcano, and tried to tease the twins a bit by trying to give them a bit of a scare.  
“Nuh uh! We aren't scared!”  
“We have our own volcano at home and she rumbles all the time.”  
“Mhm, she even spits out lava sometimes.”  
“It's super cool!”  
The twins loved sitting on one of the boats and watching the lava vent into the ocean at the back of their island, especially at night and Takeshi would occasionally allow it.

The rest of the trip to Brindisi was uneventful and they now found themselves with a four day wait before they could take the ferry across to Patras, due to the size of their truck and trailers there were very limited options and the reservation they had was the earliest available slot for a private vehicle.

While they waited they visited a few local vineyards and olive farms, enjoyed the flowing landscape and feasted their way through the local seafood and lamb dishes and during those visits at the vineyards and farms Takeshi placed orders for several barrels of wine and olive oil.  
He had already placed orders for substantial quantities of balsamic vinegar, various hard cheeses as well as Mozzarella, Gorgonzola and other typical Italian cheeses, other olive oils and a wide range of cured and smoked meats to be shipped to Hawaii and also made deals with several local producers to continuously supply the estate with their goods.  
He had done the same while they traveled through Sweden much to Emelie's amusement, buying up large amounts of cured, smoked and dried reindeer as well as elk and roe deer, the trailer had been well stocked when they left Sweden but between him and Knight they went through the food supplies fast, especially the meats.  
Though Knight was also fond of bread and cheese to a far greater extent and the amount of beer, wine and milk with extra cream added he drank was downright staggering.  
A selection of French products had been acquired as well and Takeshi was sure that some Greek items would join them, he would have to expand the estate food storage facilities when he got back, especially since he intended to bring the girls to Alaska for the upcoming salmon run.

It was the last day of their stay in Italy and Takeshi was sitting on the railing along the beach walkway when the slight brush of Knight's aura as he approached brought him from his musings and he looked away from Emelie and the twins for a moment to acknowledge Knight's approach.  
Knight sat down next to him without a word and for several minutes they just watched Emelie the girls.  
“What are you planning in regards to me once you are ready to leave Greece?”  
When he finally spoke up Takeshi startled slightly, Knight had an annoying ability to fade from Takeshi's awareness, almost to the point where he would forget the other male was there.  
“If you are willing I would offer you a small home at our estate, arrange a proper identity with all the necessary backgrounds before seeing to that you get to study and learn more about the current world and whatever subjects might interest you.”  
“And what would you ask of me in return?”  
“While you are housed at the estate you will aid in its protection, and upkeep. Help construction, hunting and day to day activities.”  
“Agreed, and for the arrangements to study?”  
While Takeshi would gladly have helped him without asking any more in return since Knight had already promised to help them try to find Emelie's father, he would not waste an opportunity to further secure the safety of those he cared about.  
“That you also study modern military tactics and weapons and use that in combination with what you already know to not only help protect the estate and those within it, but also any others I deem important.”  
“Agreed, but there is more you would ask of me, isn't there?”

Takeshi had found over the past months that he actually liked the old demon kin even if he could be rather annoying at times, while he lacked a lot of knowledge that would normally be considered basic due to having been sealed away for so long it was still obvious he was highly intelligent.  
His personality and values were very similar to his own, with honor and a strong desire to protect at the center but otherwise rather laid back and a somewhat coarse sense of humor, though a lot of the time Takeshi could have done without Knight also sharing his love for teasing.  
He could sense that Knight also had a rather dominant personality, a loner by preference and a born leader when among others, but curbing that nature in order to maintain the calm and not dishonor the aid he had been given by challenging Takeshi's position as _Alpha_ of the group.  
Takeshi's image of the old male was further cemented now as Knight understood and agreed to the prices Takeshi was asking for housing and educating him.

“I want you to seriously consider joining me in the task given by the Mother, be my general of sorts, I need someone who has experience with demons and of mystical warfare.”  
“I will consider it, but I will not make any promises until I know more.”  
“Your consideration is all I ask for.”  
There was a few minutes of silence before Takeshi spoke up again, this time more hesitantly.  
“I want...”  
He paused for a moment to gather himself, this was a personal request, and not one that was easy to ask as it would mean revealing and admitting some of his own fears.  
“I want your vow, your strongest oath, that should I fall you will look after Em, make sure she is never left behind. Protect her, body, mind, and soul with all that entails. I swore to her that I would do everything in my power to stay by her side for eternity, but we are both soldiers, we know how quickly such an oath can be crushed in the face of war.”  
There was a long silence as Knight considered the request, it was no small matter and not something to be decided in a hurry.  
“The moon will be full soon and by the time it is we will have reached Arcadia, I will consider this and before the day of the full moon I will give you my answer, if I agree I will place my oath to the both of you at one of the temples as the full moon rises.”

With nothing more to say at the moment Knight walked over to the girls and while Takeshi remained at his spot, watching over them, Knight helped the twins capture a few of the larger crabs that scurried among the rocks, tie up the pincers and place them into one of the crystal tubs that waited safely out of reach of the waves.  
Several tubs had been filled with fresh caught seafood including small fish, sea urchins, mussels and scallops, prawns, squid and octopus, all covered with piles of edible seaweed that Emelie and the girls had spent most of the morning catching.  
On the side a few tubs held lobsters, a pair of small tunas, as well as some cuttlefish and some really ugly fish that Takeshi had no idea what it was but instincts told him to catch them while he was using the form of the dolphin to hunt.  
He had also collected a few very large scallops and other treats from the deeper waters, all of it for the twins who had begged for seafood paella.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Sightseeing_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

After a last check of the various tubs Takeshi rounded up the twins.  
“Okay girls, we have everything we need so how about we grab some lunch so we don't get too hungry while preparing it?”  
“Can we try horse steak?”  
The twins had seen a sign offering horse meat at one of the seaside restaurants when they toured Brindisi and were curious to taste it.  
“Of course girls. Em, are you okay with that?”  
Takeshi remembered that her mother lover smoked horse meat, but she had also told him that it was common, especially among girls and women, to refuse to eat horse.  
“Oh I love horse meat, it's amazing.”  
“I trust you don't mind?”  
Takeshi asked Knight just in case.  
“Not at all. The origins of my food doesn't bother me as long as it's safe to consume.”

By the time the food was served the twins were at the edge of their sets, eagerly watching the server cut the whole tenderloin into slices, revealing the deep, red color of the juicy meat.  
“Wow, this is really good!”  
“Daddy, can we buy lots of horse meat for the meat store?”  
“Of course we can sweetie. I'll see about finding a good source. If all else fails we will just have to start our own horse ranch somewhere.”  
“Does that mean we can have a horse for Christmas?”  
The oh so little girl's question made Takeshi and Emelie laugh, while Knight mostly looked confused.  
“It's a bit of a cliché thing, little girls begging Santa for a pony.”  
“Santa?”  
Knight's question caused a rather long winded explanation about modern Christmas celebrations, while he countered with the winter solstice celebrations of his days.  
“That sounds like fun.”  
“Can we add some of those things this year?”  
The twins were eager to try new things.  
“Of course we can sweetie.”  
Takeshi didn't mind at all.  
“We can add some old Yule traditions as well if you want to.”  
Emelie offered to teach them about the old traditions of her Norse heritage.  
“I think you girls would enjoy making Yule logs and wreaths.”  
“Maybe, but can we have a horse?”  
There was another round of laughter before Takeshi and Emelie agreed that they would consider getting horses for them.

After their lunch was done they returned to the trailer and after a bit of rest and games they set out on making all the preparations for dinner.  
“Are you girls ready to start cooking?”  
“Yes!”  
“Excellent. Now, where do you think we should start?”  
“Um.... Cleaning all the seafood and vegetables?”  
“That's right. Now why do we need to start with that?”  
“The broth!”  
Both of them chirped happily, they loved sipping on broth so they had begged to learn how it was made.

While Takeshi filleted the fish Emelie helped the twins clean the vegetables that would be used in the broth and Knight built the wood fire that would be used to roast them to make sure all the flavors would bloom.  
Bones, shells, other scraps such as the smaller legs from the crabs and the shrimp heads would be roasted over wood fire along with fresh vegetables before being adding them to a large pot along with wine, herbs, spices and pink salt to make a rich broth.  
“Start with the coarse items that needs to cook a bit longer, then add the finer ones toward the end.”  
Takeshi gently reminded them not to just toss everything in at once.  
“We know.”  
“That's good. Now, do you want to use sweet peppers only, or do you want some hot peppers as well?”  
“Hot peppers!”  
“And garlic!”  
“Spicy it is.”  
A selection of peppers both sweet and hot were smoked and charred, tomatoes and garlic roasted to bring out all the flavors while the broth simmered.  
“I think we are ready to start putting this together.”  
“Yay!”

With everything prepared Takeshi took one of the crystals from the Sanctuary and shaped it into a large paella pan, the unique qualities of the crystals would allow a perfectly even heat even if the pan was much larger than the fire-pit used for cooking.  
With the pan ready Takeshi began putting it all together with Emelie and the twins helping and Knight watching with avid curiosity.  
“Wow, it smells amazing!”  
Takeshi found himself agreeing with Sarah, the combination of seafood, herbs, garlic and saffron created a rich aroma.  
The twins were ecstatic when dinner was finally served, the large scallop shells serving as plates filled with paella and topped with extra seafood paired with smaller shells holding condiments.  
“It tastes even better than it smells!”  
The twins were being very vocal about their opinion of the food while Knight just muttered about needing to learn to cook properly as he piled his 4  th  plate of food high.  
“Don't worry, I'm sure we can talk Take into teaching you, as you have noticed he's a great cook.”  
Emelie half soothed, half teased, knowing well that while Takeshi was an excellent cook he didn't like teaching others since most of his cooking was done flying by the seat of his pants and that was not something easily taught to others.  
The glare Takeshi sent her way made it perfectly clear what his opinion on the matter was and she couldn't help laughing, he would rather take on an army than teach someone cooking.  
He had made an exception with the girls though, when they had asked him to teach them to cook he had folded almost instantly and agreed to teach them.  
“I guess I would have to. I did promise I would teach him what he would need to know if he chooses to come with us, and cooking would be good to know to be able to sustain a demonic metabolism.”  
“What do you mean if?”  
The twins instantly zeroed in on the uncertainty in Takeshi's statement.  
“The big guy hasn't decided if he will come live with us on the island yet. And that is his choice. His promise was to help us with finding Em's dad, not that he would live with us.”  
It would of course make things easier if he did, but Takeshi didn't mention that as he didn't want to unduly influence his choice.  
The twins had no such qualms though and instantly turned on Knight and started their own campaign to get him to decide to go with them.  
“Okay girls, enough pestering the poor guy, it's time for bed.”

It was still fairly early when Takeshi called on the twins and told them to get ready for bed.  
“But, it's so early!”  
“No buts, we have to be at the ferry before dawn to load up the truck and trailers.”  
“But, we can stay in the trailer and sleep.”  
“If you could I would let you, but everyone needs to check in at the boarding desk. Remember, we are leaving Italy end entering Greece.”  
There were some muttered complaints but they did as asked and with the girls in bed it was time to make some rough travel plans for their visit in Greece, they would talk it over with the girls during the crossing.  
While Takeshi and Knight prepared a fire to keep them cozy Emelie went inside and picked up Minerva, hopefully the old bow would speak to her and help them find the one that created it.

“I have only been to the Temple of Artemis once and at the time I was traveling with Akylea. I can't say I was paying much attention to where we were going, not to mention it must have been some 2500 to 3000 years ago, I doubt there are many landmarks that I would recognize.”  
Knight was looking at the maps but it was doing little good as he was unsure how to translate his memories of traveling to the map.  
They were about to give up and just settle for roaming the land of old Arcadia hoping to feel something when Emelie finally managed to get Minerva to respond and agree to help guide them to the temple with the promise to be returned to Artemis, or sealed within the temple, forever hidden.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Sightseeing_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Come on girls, time to get up.”  
“I'm still sleepy...”  
Sarah groaned and tried to hide under her pillow.  
“I know sweetie. It's earlier than you are used to, but it will get better once the sun is up properly.”  
“Don't wanna...”  
“I'm sorry, but you have to, so stop arguing and get out of bed.”  
When his words were met with another groan and attempt to complain he leaned in over their bed with a growl and gave each of them a nip on the ear.  
“Behave.”  
“Yes daddy...”  
The growl and nip caused them to instantly submit and begin to crawl out of bed.  
“That's better.”  
He gently shooed them to the small bathroom to get cleaned up before joining the others in the kitchen to make sure breakfast would be ready when the twins were dressed.  
“Don't eat too much now, and remember to drink your ginger shot. You don't want to risk getting seasick.”  
“Yes daddy.”  
The slight impish tone earned them a mock growl which only made them laugh, and drink their ginger shot with a bit of a face, it was rather strong.  
Since the weather report indicated it would be quite windy during their passage they made sure the twins took some ginger to help prevent nausea.

Pulling up to the dock they were met by an assistant dockmaster who confirmed the measurements and weight of their rig before giving them a spot in the line waiting to board.  
Once on board they were guided to their spot and the twins' mood was lifted when the woman in charge of the vehicle deck broke into an energetic mix of praise and cursing when she noticed that their tractor and trailers were fitted with the latest multi-compatible cargo locks.  
It was a bit hard keeping up with what she was saying, but the gist of it was praising them for having proper equipment, and cursing the other rigs for either having old systems, or none at all.

Once their rig was properly secured the manager asked them for their papers.  
“Sarah, Mara, you want to show her the pet passports as well?”  
Having the twins go first allowed Knight to watch how it was done without anyone noticing, and if someone noticed him paying close attention they would assume he was making sure the twins didn't miss anything.  
With the check cleared they quickly found their way up to the main deck.  
The crossing would take at least 16 hours, maybe more considering the weather that was brewing.  
“How about we go watch the sunrise? Then we can go find somewhere for you to take a nap.”  
“Okay!”  
They hadn't reserved a cabin, but there were several areas intended for people who wanted to rest during the trip.

Standing alone on the foredeck of the large ship, part ferry, part freighter, they watched the sun rise.  
“So, do you want to go have your nap now?”  
“Nuh uh. Not yet!”

As predicted the sunlight woke the twins up and they no longer wanted to sleep anymore, finding it far more interesting to watch the hectic activity on the docks below as the last of the cargo was loaded.  
The other passengers would not start boarding for another half hour or so, but some were already waiting at the terminal, dozing in their seats, eating breakfast either brought with them or bought at the small coffee shop in the corner.  
A group of young men and women huddled in a circle around a pile of notes next to the window, no doubt students returning to their university studies in Athens after spending time with their families.

“Oh, the engines started!”  
A shiver passed through the hull of the ship as the powerful electric engines engaged and the twins were instantly on their toes.  
“Look, they are untying the lines.”  
The eager commentary of the process of casting off from the dock caused a few amused smiles from the other passengers who were also out on the foredeck to enjoy the sun and view.  
“Look, dolphins!”  
“Maria, don't climb the railing.”  
Takeshi instantly grabbed Maria when she tried to climb up on the bottom rail of the railing to better be able to look over it to see the dolphins who were wave riding.  
He did hold on to her though and lifted her slightly to let her have a look, and next to him Knight was doing the same for Sarah.  
They stayed on the deck until the chill from the increasing wind sent them inside so the twins wouldn't get chilled.

Knight turned to Takeshi and Emelie with concern laced through his mental voice when he picked up on the increasing fear from the twins.  
_“What is wrong? I have never seen them scared like this before, or scared at all for that matter.”  
“They have some rather horrible experiences of storms before they came into our care, while they no longer go into a frantic panic they still get scared.”  
_ Emelie explained while Takeshi picked the girls up to soothe them.  
_“Someday I would like to hear the entire story behind all of you, so that I may understand.”  
_ Emelie didn't answer him, instead she walked over to one of the crew.  
“Excuse me, could you help us a bit please?”  
“Of course signora.”  
“Our girls are scared of the weather, is there somewhere we could retreat in privacy to help them calm down?”  
Using her seduction she quickly secured his aid in acquiring a private cabin where they could bring the girls.  
“Of course, this way please.”  
Once in the cabin Emelie wove her powers tightly around the crewman and made him stand guard so that no one would enter the room and once the door was locked they made sure the room was not monitored before placing a barrier over the door.  
With the room fully secured Takeshi shifted into his wolf form and curled around the twins and their fear began to abate.

While Takeshi kept the girls calm Emelie silently told Knight about the cause of their fear and as the story unfolded she could feel his rage burning and it did not settle down until she told him of the parents fate at her and Takeshi's hands.  
_“That explains a lot, including why they refer to those crazy snakes as their sisters.”  
_ Even though he chuckled Emelie could still feel an undercurrent of anger that had nowhere to go with the targets already dead.  
They stayed in the room, resting and talking until the winds settled down and once it was somewhat calm they returned to the foredeck to play games and look at view as they passed Corfu and continued south before turning in between Lefkada and Kefalonia into the Gulf of Patras.

 


	8. Arcadia

 

 

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Arcadia_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

When they had finally unloaded their tractor and trailers from the ferry it was late morning and they headed for the edge of the city to set up camp for a while, to get some proper rest before heading south into Arcadia.  
“Girls, would you like to stop by Kalamata and try some seafood, or head straight for Tripoli?”  
It wasn't much of a detour, but it would add a few hours to their travel if they wanted to have a proper meal.  
“Seafood!”  
The response was hardly surprising, the twins loved their food.  
“Don't forget to get some nice, genuine, Kalamata olives.”  
“Can we visit Sparta while we're at it?”  
“Of course we can.”  
“Yay!”  
“Now, how about you girls settle down with your lessons and let us sleep for a bit?”  
“Okay...”  
The mood dropped a bit, but there were no arguments as they understood that Takeshi and Emelie needed to sleep to be able to drive safely, Knight would stay awake and keep an eye on things though.

Their immediate goal was Tripoli, both Knight's memories and Minerva's instructions indicated that the temple they were looking for was located in the center of the peninsula, somewhere in the northern regions of Arcadia, probably somewhere in the forests by Piana.  
They had decided to follow the coastal road around to Kalamata, then head inland to Sparta, and probably stay overnight in Sparta before heading to Tripoli.  
The last part wasn't set in stone though, it depended on how late it was when they were done in Sparta, if it wasn't too late they would continue to Tripoli before making camp.  
While a rather roundabout path it would offer good road conditions and they suspected that they would end up having to leave the truck and trailers in Tripoli and sneak out from there, traveling by demon steed and wolfback.  
It depended on what kind of parking arrangements could be made in Piana, but from what they had been able to find out so far it would be hard to find any location that would allow them to park for an extended period of time.  
Takeshi intended to take the bike and drive there to make sure first though, being able to park closer to their target would reduce the risk of anyone seeing them as they traveled, a giant demon horse and a wolf the size of a horse was sure to cause some commotion if spotted.

By the time Takeshi and Emelie woke up it was late afternoon so they decided to have a look at Patras, then stay the night before continuing.  
“What does the menu say?”  
Sarah and Maria were studying the faded menu outside a small restaurant hidden away in a back street.  
“I'm not sure. But I think it's some kind of stew with goat and eggplant. It smells really good from here at least.”  
Takeshi was using his phone to search the global network for a translation of what he was able to read on the menu.  
“Can we eat here?”  
“Of course we can sweetie.”  
The twins quickly fell in love with the hearty stew, though the raisins and cinnamon made it a bit too sweet for Takeshi's taste.  
He didn't mind the sweetness of the sun-ripe oranges served with the dessert though.

Once they left Knight approached Takeshi with curiosity flickering through his aura.  
“I'm a bit curious, you didn't seem to enjoy the meal very much. Was there something wrong?”  
“Not really.”  
Takeshi tried to remain diplomatic as there really hadn't been anything wrong with the food, it just wasn't to his taste.  
“The problem is that it was sweet, he doesn't like sweet thing very much.”  
Emelie stepped in and explained to Knight where Takeshi's manners kept him from elaborating.  
“Ah, I see. I must admit I was a bit surprised at how intensely sweet a lot of the food items are today.”  
“Sugar today is really cheap to make, it improves flavor, and it's addictive. There are also very few regulations about how much sugar they can add.”  
Emelie gave a quick explanation about the modern production and use of sugar.  
“Sweetened items were rare back in my days, only the very wealthy could afford to purchase cane sugar from the traders, and other items such as honey and sweet tree sap were seasonal and required a lot of work to gather.  
The conversation quickly branched out to other changes about food that Knight was curious about, which also touched on the difference in dietary needs between humans and demons, and how their own needs compared.

Knight with his mixed blood was able to eat like a human, only more and didn't really need extra animal proteins, it would be more effective if he could eat things of demon origin as they contained demonic energy meaning his body wouldn't need to convert the energy from the food.  
Emelie on the other hand was unable to convert the energy from normal food to demon energy, so she needed to feed like a demon, they theorized that demon realm food might be enough to sustain her fairly well, but she would always need to feed on sexual energy.  
Takeshi was a chapter to his own, he had always needed more food than what was normal for a human of his size and activity level and he had needed a lot of that to be in the form of animal protein, even before his change, the change had further increased his needs, and skewered them more towards consuming his prey fresh and raw.

They left Patras the next morning and after enjoying lunch in Kalamata they continued to Sparta, but in Sparta they did run into a bit of trouble as Emelie and the twins walked away from Takeshi and Knight to buy some _Souvlaki_ skewers, only to find themselves surrounded by a small group of men.  
At first Emelie ignored their catcalls, though the twins did move closer, she kept ignoring them even when they tried to get handsy, though the slight flare of her aura did alert Takeshi and Knight who began to move closer to be there to support her if needed.  
At first it seemed as if the group would move away, but then things suddenly went sideways as the atmosphere turned threatening and they started trying to separate Emelie from the twins and when Sarah started crying Emelie exploded into a protective rage.  
In the few seconds it took Takeshi and Knight to reach them she had already knocked two of the men on their asses and the remainder of the group scrambled to run away when they spotted the two large men approaching in a hurry.  
“Easy girls, easy. You're safe. Come here, I'll protect you.”  
Knight quickly scooped up the twins and held them close while allowing Takeshi to try to calm Emelie down.  
“Sweetie, focus on me. You are safe, they have left.”  
It took a bit of effort to calm her down, and by the time she was calm they were faced with the next problem, the local police.  
Takeshi quickly found that they were less than cooperative and were trying to paint Emelie as being the instigator, something that didn't go over too well with the group.  
Takeshi was just about to start using _suggestion_ and _command_ to get the police to let them go when they were asked to provide identification, and the sight of Knight's Legionnaire ID finally made them back down and release them with a long winded list of apologies, that everyone could feel was nothing but trying to suck up to Knight.

Despite the incident, and all the sights that the twins wanted to stop and see they managed to get to Tripoli shortly after noon two days after their arrival.  
“I'm sorry girls. I would like to do this on my own.”  
“But daddy!”  
“Can't we take the car instead?”  
The twins had instantly started to complain when Takeshi took the bike out of the pup, the same bike he had used back in Sydney, Matthews had been able to locate both the two bikes and the Conquest Knight XV and managed to sell them to one of Takeshi's shell companies without raising any alarms.  
“Girls, don't be like that.”  
Takeshi scolded them gently, he understood where their reluctance came from, the incident in Sparta had unsettled them a bit.  
“But!”  
“No! It's okay to ask and make suggestions, but don't whine.”  
The twins did not want to be left behind while Takeshi went out to explore and were being unusually adamant about it.  
“How about you come with me and the big guy today while Take tried to find out if we can set up camp closer to where we are going. Then you can take him out tomorrow and explore the rest of the city.”  
Emelie's suggest made them relent slightly.  
“Promise daddy?”  
“Okay, sweetie I promise.”  
With a proper promise the twins finally relented and settled down before waving goodbye to Takeshi.  
“Be careful!”  
“I always am.”

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Arcadia_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

Takeshi couldn't help a twinge of shame at how good it felt to hit the road alone, just him, the soft hum of the engine and the thrum of the tires against the somewhat rough road surface.  
He hadn't had any real alone time since they left Alaska to find Emelie, but it wasn't until now that he really realized that he had actually missed being alone with his thoughts, to not feel the auras of the others brushing against his own.  
He spent quite a lot of time alone meditating on the island, but he could always feel the energies of the others so there was never true solitude.  
Unfortunately it didn't last very long before he arrived at Piana.  
He almost missed it though as it was just a few handfuls of houses, a church and a small restaurant with a few rooms on top and a gas pump out front.  
He couldn't locate anything that looked like a truck stop though, but he drove around the countryside to have a closer look anyway, he was just about to give up and return to Tripoli when feel the slight tingle at the edge of his aura that signaled the presence of another Blessed and with curiosity he flared his aura slightly to alert whoever it was to his own presence.

The Blessed returned his greeting and he followed the pull of the familiar energy and soon found himself at a fairly large farm sprawling among the rocky hills.  
“Welcome, welcome. I rarely get to meet another child of the great Mother.”  
He was slightly surprised to find an elderly woman and he was having a bit of a hard time understanding her, her English was horrible and his Greek was even worse, but the bond of the blessing allowed them to communicate on a deeper level.  
“Thank you. There are indeed far too few of us.”  
They spoke for a while and she told him she lived there with her husband, who was currently in Patras to trade some goats to bring in new blood to the herd.  
Much to Takeshi's relief the old woman gladly invited him and the others to set up behind her farm, even offering them lodging in the small home if they wanted something different than their trailer.  
Takeshi left with a promise to return the next evening after the promised exploration with the twins.  
The next day Knight accompanied Emelie as she browsed the various stores and markets in Tripoli while Takeshi took the twins exploring the old city and as evening fell they packed up and headed for the farm.

When they arrived they were met by the old couple and Takeshi was slightly surprised to find that the husband was not a Blessed, but a regular, mortal human and he decided he would ask the woman about it, perhaps he could repay their hospitality by granting her husband the Blessing.  
Though, it did explain why the woman looked so old despite being a Blessed, she probably allowed herself to appear aged to match the aging of her husband.  
As soon as they had set up the trailer they were ushered inside for a hearty dinner starting with large plates filled with various antipasti and a huge pile of Dolmades followed by several oven pans filled with Moussaka, Courgette balls and roast lamb and finally rounded of with Baklava, all of it washed down with generous quantities of spring water, a low alcohol brew similar to a small ale and wine.  
Most of the food and drinks were produced from the crops and animals on the farm and all of it was from locally grown crops and the old couple showed great pride in their work, a pride well earned.

While they ate they kept a light conversation about the farm, the food and the local area, and Takeshi was very grateful for Knight's linguistic ability as he had already mastered modern Greek during the few days they had been in Greece.  
With Knight translating Takeshi asked if they knew anything about old temples, or legends of temples in the area.  
Their hosts gladly told them of the local legends and when they mentioned a great temple dedicated to Artemis that had been _hidden beyond the veil_ they all listened intently and once the story was complete the twins were the first to speak, stating how similar that sounded to the _Fairy-place_ as the twins called the primary Nexus of the Black Forest, and Takeshi and Emelie agreed with that.  
After the meal the sat down in the common room and Takeshi helped the girls with a few of their tricks as well as their control of the fox-fire that Eriko had gifted them with.  
Takeshi noticed the confused look the old man gave his wife and couldn't help a slight grin when he turned to him wide-eyed after a few words from his wife, she had told him that Takeshi was like her, different.  
It gave Takeshi an excellent opening to ask about the fact that the husband was not Blessed and he found that they both had wanted the husband to become one of the blessed, but they didn't know of any other blessed, or any Sanctuary so they had been unable to give him the trial so now they were resigned to grow old together and once the husband passed the wife intended to end her own existence and follow him.

“If you truly feel that he is worthy in the eyes of the Mother, I can grant him the Blessing without the trial.”  
“But, that would mean...”  
There were tears in the old woman's eyes as she spoke.  
“That would mean you are the Chosen.”  
Takeshi just smiled and gave a slight nod, his smile growing as the old woman shook her head and tutted at herself for not realizing who he was.  
_“He is worthy, beyond a doubt.”  
_The old woman's mind reached out to Takeshi as no untruths could be told that way, one could withhold information, but the one you spoke with would be aware that not everything was being told.  
With her assurance Takeshi asked the husband to join him and with a weave of _command_ and _suggestion_ he had Knight help him make sure the husband understood what the change would mean, and that he truly wanted it.  
Once Takeshi had his answers he asked the husband to sit down comfortably before moving behind him and sinking his fangs into his shoulder and allowing his aura to flow through him, forever altering the man's nature.  
Takeshi noticed that this time there was barely any drain on his reserves and while the bite created a mark it was much smaller than even Melissa's mark, this was just a simple rune with a slight fire-like effect, and Takeshi noted that he did not recognize the rune, something he would question the Beast on when he had a moment.  
“You should rest now, we can speak more in the morning.”  
“Thank you.”  
They kept thanking him over and over until he flashed his fangs at them slightly which made everyone laugh, and agree that maybe they should just go get some sleep.  
Thanking the old couple for their hospitality Takeshi and the others retreated to their trailer, while the offer to spend the night in the old farmhouse was tempting the twins still felt safer behind the barriers of the trailer.

“That was quite interesting.”  
Knight was clearly curious about how Takeshi had changed the old man as he had been able to sense the moment the change began.  
“Oh, curious are we?”  
“Very.”  
“Well, how about we get these little imps in bed then I can try to explain it.”  
Being called imps made the twins mock growl at Takeshi before pouncing at him and trying to reach his ears to give them a good nip.  
Knight and Emelie laughed as they watched Takeshi mock wrestle the twins, defending himself by tickling them, though he eventually gave in and allowed then to nip at his ears with their dull, human, teeth.  
“Okay, into bed you two.”  
“G'night...”  
“Sweet dreams you little rascals.”  
Emelie leaned in and gave each of them a kiss on the forehead.  
“G'night Mr Knight...”  
“You sleep well little ones.”  
They had quickly found that the twins refused to sleep if Knight didn't stop by and give them a goodnight hug as well.

“So, a more in depth explanation of what I did in there?”  
“Please.”  
Takeshi went back to the story of how he had been changed, and how being the Chosen gave him the power to create new Blessed simply by a bite.  
“But didn't you mention that the sister of your heart had to go through the trials?”  
“She did, but that was the Fates tampering with us. Apparently it was needed to make sure we understood the truth about our beasts.”  
“So you can change anyone you feel is worthy?”  
“Well, there are some limitations. They can't be what She calls _Other_ , for instance I would be unable to change you due to your demon blood.”  
“So they must be fully within the realm of mortals?”  
“Honestly, I don't know. I'm still figuring things out myself.”  
“Don't worry, you're not alone in this.”  
Emelie curled up in Takeshi's lap, promising to help help him figuring things out and Knight agreed he would try to be of assistance as well.  
With Emelie crawling into his lap it didn't take long for Takeshi's attention to drift though, and as always Knight simply leaned back and watched them, and once they were spent he simply joined them on the bed and curled up behind Takeshi.

It had taken them a while to get comfortable with their sleeping arrangement, but after his close call and recovery Takeshi had grown quite comfortable with being held by the larger male, but it wasn't without a nightly round of growling and flashing of fangs.  
Though it was mostly for show, Knight submitted pretty fast and Takeshi wasn't actually feeling threatened in any way by the somewhat dominant position, but it helped soothe instinct.  
“Put a sock in it will ya...”  
Emelie's grumblings made both males smile before shuffling around a bit to let her drape her wing over both of them.  
Takeshi wasn't the least bit surprised when he felt fingers brush against his hip and waist for a bit before Knight's large hand splayed over his hip and down his stomach, though, when the hand moved slowly downward he entwined his own fingers with Knight's before moving their hands up to his chest instead.  
He could feel the slightly disappointed shift in Knight's aura at the partial rejection.  
“I'm sorry big guy, but you know we would just end up fighting.”  
The disappointment faded pretty fast though and was replaced with gratitude when Takeshi placed the captive hand over his heart, and a moment later Takeshi felt the grip tighten a bit as Knight pulled him in tighter.  
“I know...”

When Knight's fingers began playing a cross his chest Takeshi just huffed and leaned into Knight slightly, allowing the feeling of the touch to stir a smoldering heat in his belly.  
Listening to Knight's breathing and heartbeat it quickly became obvious that the older male was equally affected by the deceptively casual touch and when Takeshi felt Knight's breath brush against his shoulder he gave him a short nod.  
He could feel his own heartbeat stutter when Knight leaned in with a sigh and began trailing kisses along his shoulders, and allowing the sensations to overwhelm him his breath quickly turned erratic.  
A sharp pulse of Emelie's power quickly sent both of them over the edge, and moments later both of them were sleeping under her watchful eye.  
She only allowed Takeshi to sleep for a few hours though before waking him so that she could get some sleep as well, they had quickly found that if one of them wasn't awake, keeping watch, everyone would become restless and unable to sleep properly.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Arcadia_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Daddy look!”  
“They're young again!”

True to the twins' words they were greeted by a much younger looking couple as the Blessing had fully taken hold and returned the husband's youth to him.  
While they ate their breakfast the farmers offered to guide Takeshi and the others to the location where the temple was supposed to be hidden.  
They agreed that they would leave at sunset and the day would be spent helping out at the farm.  
The couple were delighted when the Sylph volunteered to look after the animals while they were away, they had worried about leaving them unattended and they did not want to be separated now that they shared the Blessing.

“How about you big, strong, boys take care of digging that foundation and I'll take the girls and help with the harvest.”  
Emelie's suggestion was meet with cheering from the twins, while Takeshi and Knight just nodded with a sigh, neither of them minded being put to work though, physical labor could be relaxing at times.  
“Sounds like a plan, but make sure they get a proper nap so they aren't too sleepy tonight.”  
“Of course.”

Takeshi and Knight had been working on digging the foundation for a few hours when Knight put his shovel down and walked over to Takeshi.  
“As I promised I have been considering your request and I have decided to accept it on one condition.”  
Takeshi sat down and nodded for Knight to join him.  
“What would that condition be?”  
Takeshi asked him with slight worry, as long as it was within his power to grant, his own oath to Emelie would force him to accept it.  
“I ask that I'm allowed to include the twins in my oath. As they are yours to protect it would be inappropriate for me to place such an oath without your permission. And after the time I've spent living with you and yours I find myself rather fond of them.”  
The relief was tangible in Takeshi's aura after hearing Knight's condition, a condition he readily agreed to.  
“Of course. Thank you.”  
“Then I will give my oath once we reach the temple, hopefully tomorrow night.”  
Neither of them acknowledged the possibility that they wouldn't find the temple, but they were acutely aware of the risk.  
They sat in silence for a few minutes before sharing a drink from the bottle that Sarah had been by with earlier and going back to work.

It was mid afternoon when they were called to the house for dinner, and once they had eaten they would be heading out to find the temple.  
The meal was every bit as rustic, but rich, as the previous day and the conversation quickly drifted toward their plans for the evening.  
“If you would like to we could have old Balios carry your girls so they don't need to walk the entire time.”  
Balios was a large draft mule with a rather whimsical disposition despite his age, the farmers had two of the large mules, but Balios was the calmer of the pair which made him more suitable for riding.  
“That won't be necessary we have our own means of transportation, I'll show you when we are done cleaning this up.”  
“You really don't have to do this.”  
Hanna, the blessed woman, took the opportunity to object a bit at them helping with the chores but Takeshi quickly shut her objections down.  
“Of course we do. I wouldn't be right to make you do all that extra work just to feed us.”  
There was a soft sigh and some mutterings comparing Takeshi to the mules, accusing him of being stubborn.

“Everyone ready?”  
With the evening meal done and cleaned up Takeshi rounded up the twins and herded them back to the small front garden.  
“Ready!”  
It was time to head out toward the location where the hidden temple was believed to be located.  
“Let's show our hosts how we travel.”  
The twins were instantly clapping and skipping around.  
“Oh, I see. You are quite large.”  
“This is actually quite a bit larger than he usually is. His ability to adjust his shift is quite remarkable.”  
Knight supplied an explanation in Greek while Emelie helped check the tack to make sure everything was in order.  
Though, the reaction to Takeshi's shift was nothing compared to the look on the faces of their hosts when Knight called his steed.  
“By the Gods...”  
“Don't worry, he may be a demon but he's harmless as long as you don't pose a threat.”  
Knight took the time to allow their hosts to get a feel for the steed, and the steed was more than happy to greet the wife, it was a bit less tolerant of the husband though.

With everyone ready to head out the couple shifted, revealing themselves to have the blood of the Lynx.  
“Wow! You have pretty ears...”  
The couple were more than happy to humor the twins and allow them to play with the tufts of hair on their ears.  
“And tiny tails.”  
The black tipped bobtail caused another round of amazed and amused sounds from the twins, and once again their hosts patiently humored them and allowed them to have a closer look.  
“Okay girls, that's enough.”  
Emelie gently corralled the girls toward Takeshi who greeted them with a huffing bark and a wagging tail courtesy of the Beast.

“Hello Beastie!”  
The twins could tell that Takeshi had allowed the Beast to surface and were more than happy to hug it and scratch its ears before letting Emelie help them crawl into the saddle and get strapped in.  
_“Okay you had your fun, now let me back into control please.”  
__“May I share some of that control? Or at least keep our auras connected?”  
__Takeshi considered the Beast's request, it wasn't often that it outright asked to be allowed to rise.  
“Okay, but please be careful while we are carrying the girls.”  
“Of course, pack must be protected.”_  
With an agreement in place it retreated almost entirely, but Takeshi could feel its curiosity at the back of mind.

Ever since he woke up after the Louvre incident the Beast had been changed as well, stronger and somehow it felt less beast like and more human, or well, more like a greater demon than a lesser demon.  
It would still wag its tail, bark and beg for belly-rubs whenever he let it surface though, but it wasn't as much of a pest to deal with, and it was easier to maintain a conversation.  
The twins loved the change in the Beast though as it made Takeshi more comfortable with allowing it to rise now that it was easier to understand, and that meant they got opportunities to play with it.  
Takeshi didn't mind though, letting the Beast out to play so to speak helped his own control as well, helped soothe instincts and made him more comfortable with the Beast's instincts, making him feel more connected with them.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Arcadia_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Wait, I felt something!”  
They had been traveling through the mountains for about two hours when Emelie called out that she felt something from Minerva so they stopped and returned to their human forms, and the twins were quickly placed on Knight's steed where they would be reasonably safe.  
“It's definitely close by. Minerva, she feels eager.”  
“Em, are you sure there are no side effects from her? Minerva has a powerful will.”  
Knight was clearly concerned about Emelie's prolonged link with Minerva when Minerva was in an awakened state.  
“I'm fine, she's eager, but I can feel her restraining herself and actively making sure she doesn't influence me in any way beyond allowing me to sense her.”  
“That's good.”  
“I think it's this way.”  
Emelie didn't acknowledge Knight's relief in favor of focusing on Minerva.

They watched as Emelie and Minerva searched the area and it didn't take too long before they found something strange, despite trying to search in a grid patterns Emelie kept turning away from a certain area.  
“I think there's some kind of a barrier here, I keep trying to go that way, but I end up turning away.”  
They quickly joined her outside the barrier but they soon found themselves at a loss as how to enter it, their enhanced senses allowed them to feel it was there, but the very nature of the protection it offered the temple made it hard to approach it.

Whenever they stepped closer to the edges of the barrier they were overcome by a strong desire to walk in another direction and there were illusions of trees and dense brambles in the direction of the temple, while nice, clean paths sided by fruits and berries lead away from the edges of the barrier.  
Another hour was spent trying to get passed the barrier before Emelie got an idea.  
“I think Minerva might be the key.”

Reaching out she spoke with the sapient bow and after a few minutes Minerva's sealed form began to glow in her hands and she gently coaxed the bow into changing into its larger form.  
With Minerva's true form in hand she stepped as close to the barrier as she could without being turned away by its influence.  
Standing before the barrier she raised the bow and with her aura flaring around her she pulled back on the string, as she did her power began to condense along the bow, flowing together with Minerva's own energy it began to form an arrow, once the arrow was fully formed Emelie aimed high and released it into the barrier.  
The glowing power of the arrow flew true in a gentle arch and when it connected with the barrier the combined power of Minerva and Emelie's power burst across the surface, like ripples on a mirror lake the power revealed the dome shaped barrier to their eyes and moments later the barrier fell away and the path now lay open before them.  
“Thank you Minerva for allowing me to wield you to reveal the path.”  
Emelie thanked the bow and when Takeshi stepped up at her side she shielded Minerva slightly from him.  
“Sweetie, would you relay my gratitude to her please?”  
“Of course.”  
Reaching within she relayed Takeshi's words and was slightly surprised when Minerva spoke up with actual words.  
_“He may touch me as long as he does not try to hold me, or wield me.”_  
“Minerva says you can touch her, but not try to hold her.”  
Takeshi nodded softly before gently touching the curved end of Minerva's upper limb.  
“Thank you Minerva.”  
She didn't answer him, but he could sense acceptance, both of his touch and his gratitude, though, he didn't want to push her so he didn't touch her longer than necessary for relaying his gratitude.

With the barrier down Minerva returned to her sealed form and they began to walk down the path toward the center of the dome and once they were all inside the perimeter they could feel the barrier shimmer back into place behind them, once again hiding their goal, and now them as well.

They didn't need to walk far before the trees gave way to a clearing.  
“Wow...”  
“So pretty...”  
The twins were looking around them with wide eyes, and Takeshi found himself inclined to agree with their assessment of the hidden oasis before them.  
In the clearing a small, but beautiful, temple sat wedged in between two small mountain ridges, surrounded by several gnarled trees draped in hanging moss and lichen, Takeshi quickly recognized juniper, olive, laurel, apple and almond among them.  
Crystal clear water bubbled up through the sand of several springs that fed into swirling pools and winding brooks and in their path down the rocky mountain slope they formed several small waterfalls, a few weeping willows shaded a slightly larger pool at the bottom of the small valley where the brooks joined.  
Flowers and herbs spread between the trees and the brooks, painting the clearing in the colors and scents, in the shade of the trees the ground was spotted by mushrooms and fallen fruits.

Takeshi hissed slightly as he picked up the scent of wolf's bane, he had always disliked the smell of the beautiful but highly toxic plant, even before his change, though had had gotten somewhat accustomed to it during his time with Amarok as it had been the only way for him to get drunk before he learned control.  
“Girls I need you to listen carefully.”  
“Okay.”  
“You see those beautiful flowers over there that look a bit like a collection of hoods?”  
“Yeah.”  
“I need you to promise not to touch them, they very poisonous.”  
“Okay daddy, we promise.”  
With a promise that they would stay away from the dangerous flowers Takeshi helped them down from Knight's steed and allowed them to explored the immediate area a bit.  
There was a wash of power behind him that told him that Knight had dispelled the tack, leaving his steed to wander the sheltered clearing.  
Walking with the twins Takeshi quickly found that wolf's bane was not the only beautiful but deadly plant growing in the hidden clearing.  
He spotted the colorful trumpets of the datura as well as as the spectacular foxglove, even mistletoe hidden in the trees and he quickly made sure the twins were aware of the dangers.  
“Don't worry daddy, we won't touch anything without asking you first.”  
“That's my girls.”

Following the pebble-strewn path toward the small temple Takeshi took a moment to look at the two floor structure, as far as he could tell the stairs surrounded the entire building, leading up to a rectangular first floor with a row of Corinthian columns supporting the overhanging ceiling, the second floor consisted of a Tholos with a domed roof.  
Moving closer revealed that the vibrant pink and gold colors were not just being reflected from the setting sun, but the entire temple was expertly cut from magnificent pieces of marble, blending tones from white to rose to deep reds, some of the details were even cut from black marble with gold veins, a closer inspection revealed that all of the marble carried the same gold veins.  
“So beautiful...”  
There was none of the usual exuberance in Maria's voice, only a deep awe that her sister soon mirrored.  
“It's even prettier than the sky!”

When they reached the stairs they all got the strong feeling that they should not enter the temple, that it was not yet time, as if someone had called for them to wait and this time they felt no need to push the issue, instead they just sat down at the bottom of the stairs to watch the sun as it set.  
“Daddy, look a fairy!”  
Maria pointed toward one of the trees, but just like in the garden of the nexus Takeshi was unable to see anything so he unwound his aura, pouring forth the calm energy of the blessing, hoping it would work this time as well.  
“We mean you no harm, daughters of the wild.”  
He called out, maybe they would listen.  
It didn't take long before he spotted the telltale shimmer and flickering movements between the trees and soon one of them approached the group.

“You are the one? The savior of our sisters in the north?”  
She was still a bit cautious as she voiced her question.  
“I am, and these are my companions.”  
He motioned toward Knight and the girls.  
“Then be welcome as a friend to the Children, you may still your hunger with the harvest of the hidden garden.”  
Having spoken her invitation she flitted away to join her sisters and Takeshi nodded to the twins that they could go find something to eat, but not before warning them once again to stay clear of the toxic plants and telling their familiars to help keep them away from the beautiful, but deadly, flowers, by force if needed.  
They didn't stray far from him though, and true to their promise they asked him about everything before picking anything, and soon they had collected a large pile of fruits, nuts and mushrooms.

Looking at the fish that made the place their home Takeshi called out for the spirits of the place.  
“Daughters of the wild. May we catch a few of the fish that makes this place their home?”  
They gathered together and were clearly considering his request, then after a moment one of the larger females approached him.  
“You may claim one of the young sturgeon males as well as a few of the male trout. You may also collect some of the shellfish if you desire.”  
“Thank you for your generosity.”  
“You are welcome.”  
“Would you care to assist us in selecting the most suitable prey, and aid us to capture it without causing undue stress to the other specimens?”  
“I will assist.”  
The sylph agreed to help them and before long one of the large sturgeons was being cooked on the small, sandy, beach along with some crayfish and mussels.

While they ate several of the elemental spirits that made the valley their home approached with avid curiosity, and a lot of them were showing rather obvious interest in Takeshi.  
He gently rejected their advances though, he wanted to talk to Emelie about how she felt about it first.  
“Take, I've told you already. I trust your judgment.”  
With her blessing Takeshi opened up slightly and allowed the female creatures to tease him and he returned the teasing with the ones he found interesting.

The spirits were all female, and to reproduce they needed compatible males from other species, and Takeshi was compatible, and strong, making him a desirable match for them.  
Just like in the Black Forest there were four basic types of spirits, the Sylphs, or air spirits, Nymphs who were water beings, Dryads were spirits of earth and the Salamanders personified fire.  
After generations of interbreeding with male offspring, who would take their fathers form but still carry latent heritage from their mothers, there was a bit of blending between the types though, especially between the sylph and the nymphs, creating mist spirits able to synchronize with and control both air and water aspects.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Arcadia_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Oh, look, it's glowing...”  
Sarah brought their attention back to the temple behind them.  
As the light of the setting sun faded the temple itself had begun to emit a gentle glow, as if it had stored up the light from earlier and Takeshi found his curiosity getting the better of him so he stood up and walked over to get a better look at the structure and as he walked around it he was soon joined by Emelie and the twins.  
When they returned to the front of the temple where Knight and the farmer couple waited for them the moon had just risen above the treetops and Knight turned to Takeshi, giving him a pointed look to tell him that it was time to place the oath.  
With a silent nod Takeshi ushered the twins to sit below him on the stairs while indicating for Emelie to sit at his right, he could feel a mix of anticipation, curiosity and confusion in her aura, she obviously sensed that something was going on.  
While they found their seats the old couple had silently moved away, sensing the private nature of what was about to happen.

Knight walked to the center of the pathway and turned to face where the others were seated, with a tug on the power within he called fort his armor and his blade, taking his helmet in his left hand he placed the tip of his sword against the ground and lowered his right knee into the ground in a smooth motion, keeping his head down for a moment before looking up and offering his oath.  
“I swear to dedicate my knowledge, my power, my very life to the well being and happiness of Emelie Eriksson, Shirai Lilim, and her chosen daughters, Sarah and Maria, as well as those under the protection of Takeshi Kiryu, Chosen of the Mother, Avatar of Life.”  
Knight carefully listed his promises, and the terms under which he had agreed.  
There was a small pause once he was done speaking, but it didn't last long before Emelie stood and walked down to him, accepting his oath by reaching out and tapping his left shoulder with the sharp claw of her wing, moments later each of the twins placed their hand on his shoulder as well.  
Throughout the entire event Takeshi sat in silence, watching with a seemingly blank expression and once Emelie and the twins had returned to their seats he rose and walked down to Knight and placed a clawed hand on his shoulder and through that touch Knight could feel acceptance and gratitude.  
“Your oath is welcomed with gratitude, and in exchange I will extend one of my own.”  
Takeshi spoke with a soft, even, voice as he recited the promises he had offered Knight in return for his promise and Knight accepted them with a soft nod and with the oaths done the moment broke.  
Rising to his feet he put his helmet on and walked behind Takeshi as he moved back to sit next to Emelie and for a moment he remain standing behind him, symbolizing his acceptance to follow them, before allowing his armor to recede.

The moment Knight's armor vanished they could feel the energy of the temple shift and become inviting, as if someone had waited for the oath to be placed, and it was quite possible that it was the case.  
“It seems we have our invitation. Now, girls, remember to be respectful.”  
“We will.”  
Stepping inside they found themselves in a beautiful room, once again there were columns along the walls, and at the end of the rectangular room was a large statue depicting Artemis.  
“Easy, let Em go first with Minerva.”  
With a hand on their shoulders Takeshi held the twins back as Emelie walked up to the statue and knelt down in front of it with Minerva in her hands, but before she had a chance to speak the statue moved slightly and a woman's voice echoed through the temple.

 **“Daughter of Lilith, what brings you to the temple of the Huntress?”**  
Emelie startled for a moment, but she quickly recovered and spoke up with a strong voice, void of any hesitation.  
“I am Emelie, I am Lilim, I come before the Huntress to return to her one of her own, the bow Minerva, now recovered from those who slayed her mistress she deserves to be free.”  
The statue reached out toward her and she placed Minerva in the large hand.  
**“Ah, Minerva my child, such suffering you have seen.”**  
They watched silently as the animated statue sat back and held the bow close, and experience told them that a silent conversation was taking place between Artemis and the bow she had crafted several millennia ago.  
After a while the statue moved once again and beckoned for the others to approach and once standing before it the voice spoke to them all.  
**“I have spoken to Minerva and she has told me of your honorable nature, your willingness for sacrifice, and of the task given by the Avatar of Life and I have asked of her to join your cause.”**  
The statue once again reached down toward Emelie and presented her with the bow.  
**“I can feel that you possess a weapon of your own, and the bow is not a weapon that suits your nature, but I ask that you carry Minerva with you until the day you find someone worthy to wield her, someone following the Avatar of Life's cause.”**

Nodding silently Emelie reached out and grasped Minerva, the moment the bow was in her hand it returned to its smaller form and with wide eyes Emelie could feel it touch her mind, telling her how to merge it with her soul in the same way Takeshi carried his blades.  
Takeshi watched with slight concern as Emelie took Minerva and placed her against her heart and the bow instantly faded into her soul, but his concern was soon forgotten as Artemis touched his mind, allowing him to feel her, to know what she truly was, Avatar of the Hunt.  
While her mind touched his she promised him that no harm would come to Emelie from carrying Minerva in her soul, that just like how his blades had ejected themselves Minerva would also leave on her own if there was any risk of harm.

 **“Come, join me. We have many things to speak about.”**  
After giving Minerva back to Emelie Artemis indicated toward a hidden staircase that led to the Tholos above and once they entered it they were met by a smaller statue that quickly animated under the power of the Avatar and she and began telling them of her children, of temples hidden around the world.  
**“There is one thing in particular I need to tell you. You should seek out the Daughters of Poseidon in the lost city of Atlantis.”**  
“Atlantis is real?”  
Maria was hanging on Artemis every word.  
**“It is little one, and her denizens still guard vast libraries and armories with weapons of great power.”**  
“Are the daughters of Poseidon really mermaids?”  
**“Indeed they are. Though there are mermen as well, but the Daughters are an order sworn to protect Atlantis and her secrets.”**  
“Does that mean Atlantis is matr.. Umm, mater...”  
Maria struggled for a bit to find her words but when she couldn't find the word she was looking for she huffed and altered what she was trying to say  
“Does that mean Atlantis is like the Amazons? Women ruling?”  
**“Yes, Atlantis is a matriarchal society.”**  
Artemis patiently waited for Maria's question, and gently supplied the word she had been looking for.  
The twins asked a nearly endless stream of questions about Atlantis and her people and Artemis answered to the best of her ability, and Takeshi and the others added their own questions from time to time.

“Daddy, can we come too when you go to Atlantis?”  
Maria turned on Takeshi with full on puppy-eye mode and Sarah instantly mirrored her.  
“I don't know sweetie. But I promise we will try to bring you with us.”  
“Yay!”  
The twins eagerness had everyone laughing, Artemis included as she praised them for their courage.  
“Now girls, I know a lot is happening. But you really should try to sleep a bit.”  
“But we don't want to...”  
“Please Maria, Sarah. You will be very tired tomorrow if you don't. And I wouldn't feel comfortable carrying you if you aren't fully alert.”  
Takeshi gently wheedled with them to get them to agree to getting some sleep, he wouldn't demand it though as it was a rather special occasion.  
“I guess.”  
“Can you let Beastie out for a while so we can use him as a pillow?”  
“Of course sweetie, give me a moment to ask him.”  
Takeshi had no doubt the Beast would be more than happy to and the moment he reached within he was met by eager agreement.  
A quick shift later he let the Beast rise and the twins instantly started hugging and patting him, while complaining about _icky doggy kisses,_ they didn't do anything to prevent getting licked though.  
It only took a few minutes for the exhausted girls to fall asleep, and the Beast receded slightly to make it easier for Takeshi to communicate, and the others answered him silently as well so they wouldn't wake the girls.

 **“ _I need to return to my duties as Avatar. But you are welcome to rest within this place for as long as you wish, my servants will assist you with what you may hunt.”_** _  
“Thank you Artemis, and thank you for all the information you have given us.”_  
**_“There is one more thing I would offer you. Em, please step forward.”_**  
Emelie quickly rose and stepped up to the statue that housed Artemis spirit and with a wash of power a beautiful wreath of leaves and small blue blue flowers appeared in the carved marble hands.  
On closer inspection the flowers were cut from blue gemstones and the leaves delicately crafted from silver.  
**_“The aquamarine is the stone of the sea, and the stones in this crown were mined in the realm of Atlantis, they know their origin and will guide you safely through the labyrinth that guards the hidden city.”_**  
A gentle probing of power called up Emelie's true form and Artemis secured the crown on her head, carefully making sure it would not snag on her horns.  
**_“Just like Minerva the crown will rest within your soul until it is needed. Now you should all rest a bit, eat, then return to your destinies.”_**  
_“Artemis, will you at least stay long enough for the girls to say goodbye?”_  
Takeshi gently reached out for the Avatar's mind.  
**_“Of course I will, but they will need to wake now to do so.”_**

Takeshi gently started licking the twins' faces to wake them up as he knew they would be distraught f they missed saying goodbye to Artemis.  
“Sleepy...”  
_“I know sweetie, but you can sleep more after you have said goodbye to Artemis, she needs to leave now.”_  
The reaction was instant and the twins quickly scurried to their feet and Takeshi shifted once they were out of his fur.  
He watched as the twins ran up to the smaller statue of the Huntress and hugged it  
“Bye bye Artemis!”  
**“Goodbye little ones. You make sure to study hard, learn to live with the land, to honor the life that is given to sustain you, and you shall have my blessing.”**  
“What kind of blessing is that?”  
Maria instantly question the Avatar.  
**“Those blessed by my power will find themselves most fortunate when hunting. Prey will be less fearful, their traps more successful, and the elements will favor them. And if they try their hand at archery they will find their equipment less prone to breaking, their arrows will fly truer and not be lost as easily.”**  
Takeshi was immensely proud that Maria thought to ask what Artemis' blessing entailed.

“Daddy, if we promise, will you help us make sure we can keep that promise true and proper?”  
Maria's question made his pride soar even higher.  
“Yes, Maria. If you promise to work hard and study, I will promise to teach you about hunting, about the balance, and about honoring your prey.”  
Of course he intended to do so anyway, but it pleased him that she thought to ask, and that she didn't want to make promises she was unsure if she could keep.  
“I promise I will!”  
She spoke with absolute conviction and he quickly returned the promise and watched as she turned back to the statue of Artemis and kneeled down, copying what she had seen both him and Knight do when placing a formal oath.  
“I, Maria, promise I will do my best to earn your blessing with the aid of my father and alpha!”  
Sarah quickly echoed her sister's promise, both to Takeshi and to Artemis.

Sometimes it amazed Takeshi how mature they could act when they wanted to, most of the time they acted younger than their age, whimsical and childish, but on occasion they would act with a maturity far beyond their years.  
At first he had believed it to be a sign of an old soul, as Tsukiko had explain his own behavior, but he had eventually come to realize that twins were not old souls, they were infant souls who had never been reincarnated.

 **“Your oaths honor me little ones. The blessing of the Huntress is yours, may your hearts always remain true. And you are wise to ask the aid of your elders to help you stay true to your word.”**  
The statue gently bowed down and placed kiss on each of their foreheads and Takeshi could feel a gentle, but clearly primordial, energy, transfer through the touch.  
“Thank you Artemis.”  
**“Farewell my guests.”**  
They quickly said their goodbyes, and thanked her for her hospitality and moments later the statue returned to its original position and stilled, and they could all feel that Artemis was no longer with them.

“Do you want to sleep some more, or head to the valley and find something to eat?”  
“Eat!”  
It would seem the excitement of receiving Artemis blessing had chased away any lingering sleepiness.  
“Well come on then. Let's go see if the spirits are willing to aid us once again.”  
Takeshi flexed his claws in the age old tickle treat which made the twins bolt toward the stairs with a shriek of laughter and Knight hurried after them to allow Emelie and Takeshi a moment of privacy.  
“So, are you planning to sneak away and bed some of them?”  
Despite the teasing tone Takeshi could tell she was being serious.  
“Only if you are okay with it.”  
“Don't worry, I'm fine with it. None of these are like the Forest Queen, they all feel nice.”  
“Then I'll carefully consider it if I get any offers.”  
“Oh I'm sure you will.”  
Not finding his words Takeshi kissed her softly, pouring all his feelings, his gratitude for her understanding and patience with him, all his love for her, into the kiss.

Emelie did have mixed feelings about it at times but in the end all she could think of was that he was hers, even if he bedded those beautiful females his heart was still hers, he would always return to her, and if she said so, he would reject any advance.  
Even if he was still unable to tell her he loved her she could feel it in his kiss, and she loved him just as deeply.

“Love you too...”  
She murmured softly as he broke off the kiss.  
“Thank you.”  
He gave her a painfully tight hug before releasing her and offering her his hand.  
“Come on, let's join the others before the twins drive the big guy insane.”

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Arcadia_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

With the help of the elementals a wide selection of the valley's bounty was soon collected for breakfast and while a pair of trouts cooked the curious females teased and laughed, trying to entice Takeshi, and allowed himself to be teased, and from time to time one of them would allow him to touch them.  
After a while one of the salamanders stilled her flames and allowed him to brush his fingers down her back and along her tail, and as he touched her she grew until she was the size of a human.  
She wasn't much larger than Emelie, but she was not a mortal creature so she would no doubt be able to handle Takeshi, despite his rather generous _equipment_ .  
“Your passion burns brightly little flame.”  
Takeshi's teasing earned him a brilliant laugh and a brief kiss before she danced out of reach, but the next time she darted in her he captured her and kissed her with hunger burning within.  
There was a moment of resistance, then she settled down and returned the kiss with fervor.

With a quick glance Takeshi confirmed that the twins were occupied, though they no longer actively hid their sexual activities from the girls they didn't flaunt them either, and the glance confirmed that their attention was held by a group of the spirits.  
A handful of the ancient creatures had agreed to tutor the girls a bit about Greece, it's history, geography and mythology and the twins were eagerly absorbing every word of their tales.  
The farmer couple had already left, giving them sufficient privacy for him to feel comfortable with bedding the salamander in the shade of the trees.  
As usual Knight simply settled down to watch and he could feel the surge of curiosity and arousal from Emelie as she joined him and he realized it was the first time he had been with someone else since Knight joined them.  
He found that he very much enjoyed being watched by her, through her arousal he knew her acceptance.  
He knew of course in his mind that she had no objections, he could hear the truth in her words when she spoke them, but feeling it over their ever strengthening bond, to know it with his heart and soul was something very different.

“We thank you for your time, and most pleasurable effort.”  
The dryad's teasing farewell made everyone laugh, including the twins, though they didn't fully understand the nuances.  
They had stayed nearly a week to allow Takeshi ample time to bed the ones who wished to attempt to become pregnant, but it was time for them to move on, and return home.  
“It was my pleasure to offer assistance.”  
He teased back before turning serious.  
“Would you please try to let me know if our efforts have bore fruit?”  
He knew he would likely not meet any children he may have sired during their stay until they reached their maturity, if ever, such was the way of the Daughters, but he found he at least wanted to know how many there were if any.  
“We will. You will no doubt have sired many daughters to bolster our numbers, and sons who may one day do the same.”  
“Thank you.”  
They bid the Daughter's farewell and headed back to the farm where Takeshi would see if the farmers would let them stay for a while as the twins had clearly enjoyed it, and maybe the old couple would agree to let him borrow the mules to help him give the twins riding lessons.

“You don't need to do this.”  
“I know, but we can so why not?”  
The farmer couple were trying to object to Takeshi's offer to help complete the construction of the barn that he and Knight had been digging the foundation for.  
It took a bit of convincing, but in the end they agreed to accept the help, and also Takeshi's offer to change their two old mules into Blessed beasts, making them even smarter than before, and stronger, but most importantly, eternal, and capable of bearing offspring.  
Takeshi also helped them arrange new identities as their own grandchild and wife before leaving for Athens, and once in Athens they spent another week exploring the ancient city before loading the rig into a ship that would take it to Honolulu, and having Matthews come pick them up. **  
**

It was the last day of November when they watched the Blackout set down at the Athens airport.

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
